Don Tillman is a brilliant genetics professor. He's also very socially challenged, but he's decided it's time to find a life partner. His previous efforts have been unsuccessful, but this time he's going to approach the problem using his strengths-his extremely rational brain and science. What ensues is a quirky, charming tale of unexpected, unscientific love.
In order to avoid another "Apricot Ice Cream Disaster," which occurred during a previous attempt at finding a partner, Don devises The Wife Project. He puts together a 16-page questionnaire: "A purpose-built, scientifically valid instrument incorporating current best practice to filter out the time wasters, the disorganized, the ice-cream discriminators, the visual-harassment complainers, the crystal gazers, the horoscope readers, the fashion obsessives, the religious fanatics the vegans, the sports watchers, the creationists, the smokers, the scientifically illiterate, the homeopaths, leaving, ideally, the perfect partner or, realistically, a manageable short list of candidates."
The impulsive, always late Rosie Jarman most definitely does not fit Don's idea of the perfect life partner. That's OK because Rosie certainly doesn't see Don as life partner material either. Instead, she requires his expertise as a geneticist to help her find her biological father. Together they embark on The Father Project trying to find out which one of numerous possibilities Rosie's mother slept with at her medical graduation party.
Don finds his usually extremely orderly life turned upside down as the force that is Rosie wreaks havoc on his carefully calibrated routines. He's shocked to find himself making irrational decisions just to spend more time with Rosie even though he knows, "to see her again would be in total contradiction to the rationale for the Wife Project."
Rosie, normally prickly, sarcastic and untrusting, finds herself disarmed by Don's total honesty and the way he takes things much too literally. Those same characteristics are cause for much humorous miscommunication and misunderstanding before Don and Rosie finally begin to see each other for who they really are.
"The Rosie Project," by Graeme Simsion, was such a fun read. I highly recommend it, especially if, like me, you prefer a light touch of romance with a much bigger helping of humor.
Good news if you do enjoy it - Missouri River Regional Library already has the sequel, "The Rosie Effect."
Lisa Sanning is adult services librarian at Missouri River Regional Library and also helps run a monthly program for millennials at the library.