Adult Book Review: Andrea Hoffman Goes All in by Diane Cohen Schneider

Posted August 7, 2022 by jrsbookr in Fiction / 0 Comments

by Diane Cohen schneider
Adult Book Review: Andrea Hoffman Goes All in by Diane Cohen SchneiderAndrea Hoffman Goes All In Published by She Writes Press on August 30, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Coming of Age, Fiction / Feminist, Fiction / Humorous / General, Fiction / Jewish, Fiction / Women
Pages: 328
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
Goodreads

Andrea Hoffman is an overeducated, underemployed, and unmotivated recent college graduate—until an unexpected robbery blasts her out of her funk and into a job in the finance world of early-1980s Chicago. At first, it seems like a bad fit. But the world of finance has its own weird charm, and she grows increasingly fascinated by the strange language of trading, the complexity of the stock market, and her colleagues, who navigate it all with a ruthless confidence. Even though she has two strikes against her—Jewish and female—Andrea’s quick wit and strong work ethic propel her into an actual sales job and her career takes off. But this is the Wall Street of the eighties, and along with making a lot more money, Andrea adopts a new, fast life of cocktails, cocaine, and casual sex. Drunk on her achievements, she gradually realizes that at some point, she’s going to have to decide what success really means to her.

Review:

 

Andrea is a delightful protagonist — intelligent, witty, sharply observant, and wonderfully edgy — as she navigates the gritty, often ugly, and shockingly naive world of the 1980s. I found the novel entertaining and amazingly moving, and Andrea’s story is surprising, a little scary, but ultimately deeply satisfying. Highly recommend!! Novels that flashback to the eighties are becoming very popular, and “Andrea Hoffman Goes All In” is an example of a book banking on that trend. Andrea Hoffman entered the world of Wall Street when few women were in the field. Yet, what else are you supposed to do when you graduate from college with a philosophy degree and get robbed at the retail job your degree led you to? But the more money Andrea makes, Andrea’s world becomes wild. Some of the choices that Andrea makes, choosing to invest with her secretary over drugs and even at times sleep with married men, were choices I cringed over. However, I did find the feel of the devil wears Prada choosing to take control of your life even in a job you are not sure about where what kept me reading.

 

About Diane Cohen schneider

Diane Cohen Schneider grew up in Illinois but spent most of her adult life in Stamford, CT, with her husband and their three children. Her career as a finance sales executive during the 1980s inspired her debut novel, Andrea Hoffman Goes All In. After leaving Wall Street, she continued her love of finance. Believing everyone should have basic financial literacy skills, she has taught courses and workshops and because she feels money management is not only necessary but fun, she has an Instagram account called @Moneylikeuhmother. Seeking to expand their horizons, Diane and her husband recently moved to Santa Fe, NM.