A Girl's Guide to Chicago

by Kelly Russell

Overview

From a young age a little girl dreamed of moving to Chicago. She would close her eyes and picture the excitement along Michigan Avenue, the quaint neighborhoods, endless cuisines, and of course, the magical skyline floating over the blue water of Lake Michigan.

Based on the true story of a girl in her twenties who packs her bags and follows her lifelong dream of moving to Chicago. Take a journey with Kelly and discover the hidden gems you never knew about - as she starts a new career, makes new friendships, and even falls into an unexpected romance.

At the end of the story, there's a checklist of every location, experience, and place mentioned in the book. You can follow along on her journey, explore the city, and create memories of your own.

Perfect for any girl who loves exploring the city, and a must-read for anyone visiting or moving to Chicago.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781732118201
Publisher:	Kelly Russell
Publication date:	05/31/2018
Pages:	234
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.49(d)

About the Author

Born in London, Kelly Russell moved to the suburbs of Chicago when she was eight years old. After her first visit to the city with her parents, she quickly became fascinated with the Windy City. She almost had her dream of moving to the city crushed at age twenty-two when she was mugged at gunpoint in the suburbs.

Never the one to be discouraged, Kelly graduated from Aurora University, and fulfilled her lifelong dream of moving into the city. Working on overcoming her fears, Kelly began to explore and uncover Chicago's hidden gems, the city culture, best restaurants, coffee shops, and trendy bars.

Kelly decided to start her blog, girlsguidechicago.com and she became one of Chicago's foremost experts writing guides on everything for girl's to do throughout the city. From there, Kelly decided to write her first novel about her experiences as a young girl moving to and exploring the city.

Today, Kelly lives in the Lakeview neighborhood with her husband. She teaches preschool in the Three-year-old room in Lincoln Park and also continues to enjoy writing guides on her blog. Most days, you can find Kelly and her husband enjoying their neighborhood, relaxing in coffee shops, trying new restaurants, and watching movies.

Editorial Reviews

05/06/2019

Chicago blogger Russell crafts a thinly fictionalized version of her first year in the Windy City in her middling debut . The eponymous main character, intrigued by the city as a child, gives up her job in the suburbs in order to fulfill her somewhat vague dream of living there. She quickly finds a job as a receptionist for a digital marketing agency and an apartment to share with her homebody brother, but realizes that she’ll need to navigate public transportation, revamp her wardrobe, and revisit her expectations of urban life if she wants to survive in the city. Though colleagues and friends make appearances, none really makes an impression apart from Vin, Kelly’s boss, who becomes an integral part of her social life. The real star is Chicago itself, with key landmarks and businesses described frequently. The straightforward prose lacks emotional resonance, but the book lives up to its title through its loving portrayal of a storied city. (BookLife)

Publishers Weekly