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Book Review of The Other Typist

The Other Typist
reviewed on + 379 more book reviews


This novel is set in NYC in the 1920's prohibition era when speakeasies and flappers abounded. It is narrated by Rose, a drab, self-righteous typist in a police precinct when the "other typist," Odalie, is hired. Initially Rose is wary of Odalie with her confident, charming flamboyance. Gradually, Odalie wins Rose's friendship, and Rose leaves her shabby boarding house to move into Odalie's exclusive apartment where she begins to enjoy Odalie's lifestyle of extravagance and excess. Seen only through Rose's perspective, this beautifully written book unfolds slowly and is intriguing because nothing is as it seems as the plot progresses.