A Short Review: A Model Summer by Paulina Porizkova

I first met Ms. Porizkova this past January at Kathy Patrick’s Girlfriend Weekend. After listening to her speak, and conversing with her as she signed my book, I must say that I am most impressed with this lady—especially after having read her new novel, A Model Summer (Hyperion).  I mean, not only is this lady stunningly beautiful, but her writing reveals that she is sensitive and an acute observer of life.  And if you are as fortunate as I was to meet her in person, you will find her polite and caring.  If you’ve been following the reality shows, you know she was appointed a judge, replacing Twiggy, on America’s Top Model. She also had a short stint on Dancing with the Stars.  She has appeared in movies: Anna, Portfolio, Her Alibi, Arizona Dream, Thursday, Roommates and Knots. She is married to Ric Okasek and they have two sons. Model, actor, writer—how much talent can one woman have?

Now to her novel. A Model Summer is the story of Jirina, a fifteen-year-old model. The story is of her first summer as a professional model. You could read this as an expose of the modeling business, a tale of innocence lost, or just as a young lady’s rite of passage. I would say that this book could be helpful and would provide valuable life-insights to any young lady who aspires to be a model.  Being a successful model is harder than people think, and an industry that can cause an individual to crash and burn.  I’m not sure how much of the novel is auto-fiction, not that any writer would admit anything in a novel to be autobiographical, but the suggestion is there. At least, we know the author is someone who knows the fashion industry. Indeed, she knows secrets that the fashion industry has cloistered.  Her writing style is smooth, I found it had a distinct voice, the plot is captivating, and so many of the lines were superbly written. I feel fortunate to have met Ms. Porizkova, and even more fortunate to have read her novel. I truly wish her the best.

Here are photos of the author and of the novel’s cover.