Mrs. Pollifax, How I Love Thee...

I spent a lovely day with Mrs. Pollifax. First, I took her to my OB appointment where she kept me company as I waited a ridiculously long time (in between paperwork) for the doctor and Big Man found out why it is that I'm so tired after spending all day with Little Man. Then, after Big Man went back to work and Little Man went on to bed, Mrs. Pollifax and I retired to the couch with a bowl of frozen yogurt and a very stale chocolate muffin. Who is Mrs. Pollifax, you ask? The very fact that that question is being asked saddens me while at the same time reminding me of my exalted purpose of book blogger. So, while the lightning flashes outside and the wind rages through the trees, and I wait for my first Oklahoma rain--that I think just arrived!!!!--let's make the introductions.

The Mrs. Pollifax series, written by Dorothy Gilman, stars Emily Pollifax, a New Brunswick grandmother with a brown belt in karate who starts her career as a spy for the CIA when she's in her sixties. As spy novels go, they're fairly fantastic: full of intrigue, suspense, and funny moments and occasionally really good quotes. I picked up one of the Pollifax books years ago--and loved it--and every once in a while another one will pop up on my radar, and I'll have an enjoyable few hours of whodunits and red herrings. This time, it was Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station, obviously based in China (I forgot to mention that the Pollifax books are frequently set in exotic, if occasionally made up, locales--always a plus for me). So, today I accompanied Mrs. Pollifax on a rescue mission into China where she has an unknown coagent and several suspicious traveling companions. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy my literary tour through post-Mao China, but I even came away with a new favourite quotation: "There are no happy endings...there are only happy people." And I think I'm going to hold onto that one for a while.

On that note, our bathrooms need to be cleaned, and I'm going to make this happen before the second wind brought on by this fabulous rainstorm blows on out. Find Mrs. Pollifax. You know you want to.