Author Rebecca Serle often adds elements of magic to her writing. In her last book “One Italian Summer,” she writes about a woman who goes on vacation and meets a younger, more carefree version of her mother. In her new novel “Expiration Dates,” protagonist Daphne enters each romantic relationship knowing its end date. Serle says she was interested in the debate of fate versus free will. The newlywed Serle also was inspired by her own dating history while writing Daphne’s search for Mr. Right. Serle says she has long enjoyed magical realism, recognizes her readers enjoy these aspects of her books, and will continue to write in this genre as long as she finds it interesting.
In Rebecca Serle’s new book “Expiration Dates: A Novel,” the protagonist, Daphne, knows when her relationships will end. A slip of paper always shows up with a name and a number for how long they will date.
× Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm(6 >66E s2A9?6 @? 96C H2J E@ 2 3=:?5 52E6 H:E9 y2<6 — H9@D6 A2A6C 5@6D?’E 92G6 2 ?F>36C] %9:D >FDE >62? 96’D E96 @?6] ~C :D 96n xD :E 96=A7F= @C 2 9:?56C2?46 E@ 92G6 E96 2?DH6CDnk^Am
kAm“x H2D E9:?<:?8 23@FE 72E6 2?5 7C66 H:== 2?5 H9:49 @?6 H:?D[” $6C=6 D2:5 C646?E=J @G6C +@@> 7C@> 96C 9@>6 :? {@D p?86=6D] “w@H >F49 :D H:E9:? @FC 4@?EC@= 2?5 9@H >F49 :D 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6? C682C5=6DD @7 E96 564:D:@?D H6 >2<6 2?5 E96 49@:46D E92E H6 >2<6n”k^Am
kAm$6C=6’D C646?E ?@G6=D 92G6 3=6?565 72?E2DJ 2?5 C62=:D>] x? 96C =2DE 3@@<[ “~?6 xE2=:2? $F>>6C[” 2 H@>2? >66ED 2 J@F?86C G6CD:@? @7 96C >@E96C H9:=6 @? G242E:@?]k^Am
kAmx? “tIA:C2E:@? s2E6D[” $6C=6[ H9@ >2CC:65 :? a_ab[ H2D :?DA:C65 3J 96C @H? 52E:?8 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kAm“x H2D D:?8=6 7@C 2 C62==J =@?8 E:>6[” D96 D2:5] “x C6>6>36C C6=2E:@?D9:AD H@F=5 6?5 2?5 x H@F=5 766= =:<6[ “%9:D 282:?n s:5?’E x 2=C625J =62C? E9:D =6DD@?n” {@@<:?8 324<[ x D66 H9@ x 925 E@ 364@>6 367@C6 x >6E >J 9FD32?5[ 3FE :E’D 92C5 E@ D66 :? E96 >@>6?E] %92E’D H96C6 E96 H:D9 7F=7:==>6?E @7 ‘tIA:C2E:@? s2E6D’ 4@>6D :?] %96C6 :D D@>6E9:?8 D@ 4@>A6==:?8 23@FE E96 :562 9@H J@F >:89E D66 2 C6=2E:@?D9:A :7 J@F H6C6?’E 6?E6C:?8 :?E@ 6G6CJ @?6[ 2D x 5:5[ E9:?<:?8 ‘%9:D 4@F=5 36 E96 @?6]’”k^Am
kAm$6C=6 DA@<6 E@ %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD 23@FE A9:=@D@A9J[ H92E D96 E6==D 96C 9FD32?5 23@FE 96C 3@@
kAm#6>2C
kAm000k^Am
kAmp!i (92E :?DA:C65 J@F E@ DE2CE 255:?8 72?E2DJ 6=6>6?ED E@ J@FC 3@@
kAm$t#{ti x? 4@==686 x H@F=5 HC:E6 >28:42= C62=:D> D9@CE DE@C:6D] x C625 2 =@E @7 p:>66 q6?56C 2?5 w2CF<: |FC2<2>: 2?5 6?;@J65 E96 H2J E96J H@F=5 @A6? FA 2 F?:G6CD6 2?5 ?@E 6IA=2:? :E] $@>6E9:?8 23@FE E92E ;FDE DA2C<=65] x AF3=:D965 7@FC J@F?8 25F=E ?@G6=D 367@C6 HC:E:?8 >J 7:CDE ?@G6= 7@C 25F=ED H9:49 H2D “%96 s:??6C {:DE” :? a_`g] (:E9 E92E[ x H6?E 324< E@ 9@H x 3682? 3J HC:E:?8 >28:42= C62=:D>]k^Am
kAmp!i s:5 J@F 3J 492?46 DEF5J A9:=@D@A9J :? D49@@=nk^Am
kAm$t#{ti x H2D 24EF2==J @3D6DD65 H:E9 A9:=@D@A9J :? 9:89 D49@@=] x C6>6>36C C625:?8 !=2E@’D “%96 p==68@CJ @7 E96 r2G6” 2?5 36:?8 3=@H? 2H2J]k^Am
kAmp!i *@FC C6256CD 6?;@J E96 >28:4 6=6>6?ED :? J@FC 3@@<] s@ J@F 6G6C 766= AC6DDFC6 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ :?4=F56 E9@D6nk^Am
kAm$t#{ti x’> H@C<:?8 @? 2 3@@< C:89E ?@H E92E >:89E 36 E96 =2DE 3@@< E92E 92D D@>6 <:?5 @7 >28:4 :? :E] x H2?E E@ <66A C6:?G6?E:?8 >JD6=7 2D 2 HC:E6C 2?5 8C@H:?8] qFE x’> 2=D@ 2H2C6 E92E x 92G6 2? 2F5:6?46 E92E 7@C H92E6G6C C62D@?[ =@G:?8=J 2?5 H@?56C7F==J 2?5 DFCAC:D:?8=J C62==J =:<6D H92E x 5@] (6’== D66] ~?46 E96 E9:?8 :D ?@ =@?86C :?E6C6DE:?8 E@ >6[ E96 3@@
kAmp!i (92E 92D :E 366? =:<6 :?EC@5F4:?8 J@FC 9FD32?5 E@ J@FC HC:E:?8nk^Am
kAm$t#{ti x D2:5 E@ >J 9FD32?5 62C=J @?[ 2?5 x C6>:?5 9:> 2== E96 E:>6[ “w2AAJ >2CC:286D 5@6D?’E >2<6 :?E6C6DE:?8 3@@D6=7 :? 6G6CJE9:?8 E92E 4@>6D ?6IE[ 3642FD6 E96 723C:4 @7 @FC =:G6D 2C6 ?@H H@G6? E@86E96C] (6 =:G6 E@86E96C] (6 D92C6 2 =:76 E@86E96C w6’D 8@:?8 E@ C64@8?:K6 56E2:=D @7 9:>D6=7 :? 2 9FD32?5 492C24E6C] ~7 4@FCD6 96 :D] x’> HC:E:?8 :E] qFE ;FDE 3642FD6 E92E A6CD@? J@F @H[ 92D 2? 2772:C 5@6D?’E >62? E92E E92E’D 9@H x 766= 23@FE 9:>] %92E’D 2 92C5 E9:?8 D@>6E:>6D 7@C ?@?\HC:E6CD E@ F?56CDE2?5]k^Am
kAmp!i *@F’G6 C646?E=J DE2CE65 CF??:?8 C68F=2C=J 2?5 D2J CF??:?8 :D =:<6 HC:E:?8] w@H D@nk^Am
kAm$t#{ti qJ E96 H2J[ 3J CF??:?8 x >62? =:<6[ b >:=6D] x’> ?@E >2C2E9@?:?8[ ~zn qFE x ?6G6C C2? 2 >:=6 :? >J =:76] x C62==J 925 ?6G6C CF? 7:G6 >:?FE6D :? >J =:76] x C646?E=J DE2CE65 CF??:?8 3642FD6 :E H2D D@>6E9:?8 x C62==J H2?E65 E@ =62C? 9@H E@ 5@] |J 66D H@F=5 9FCE H96? x C2? 7@C 7:G6 >:?FE6D[ 3FE E96J 5@?’E 9FCE ?@H E92E x CF? 7@C 92=7 2? 9@FC] *@FC 23:=:EJ E@ <66A >@G:?8 2?5 J@FC =F?8 42A24:EJ 252AED[ 3FE x E9:?< H92E C62==J 252AED :D J@FC 3C2:?] *@FC 3C2:? D2JD[ ‘x @H x 42? 5@ E9:Dj x @H x 42? 4@>A=6E6 E9:D]’ x E9:?< E92E :D 6I24E=J H92E :E >62?D E@ HC:E6 2 3@@<] tG6CJ E:>6 x D:E 5@H? E@ 5@ :E[ :E 86ED 2 =:EE=6 3:E 62D:6C[ 3642FD6 x’G6 5@?6 :E 367@C6[ 2?5 x @H x 42? 5@ :E 282:? *@F <66A @? 2?5 6G6?EF2==J D@>6E9:?8 86ED 3F:=E]k^Am
