18385675:FB2013_(140)
7/15/2013
3:50 PM
Page 140
arts and entertainment
by stacey l. evans
in Bloom
Ea st Cobb with ar rival o f b es t- s el l i n g aut h o r Cla i re Cook’s s u n n y d i s p o s i tio n and seeds of wi s d o m Though she has published nine books in a decade, one of which was made into a Hollywood movie, bestselling author Claire Cook is just as down-to-earth as the characters she writes about. She’s friendly and has a genuine zest for life. “I think who I am and what I write are really in sync and I think there is a lot of power in that. I hope there is a spirit of fun in both,” she said. “Life is here, we might as well enjoy it.” Cook’s novels, from Must Love Dogs, which was made into a movie starring John Cusack and Diane Lane, to her latest, Time Flies (published in June), are perhaps best categorized as Chick Lit, mostly lighthearted stories about everyday women reinventing themselves. “I think there is enough pain and suffering in the world without me adding to it,” she said. “I get to write the fun books, the books that people sit out by the pool or take to the beach on vacation and read.” Cook and her husband, Jake Jacobucci, recently moved to east Cobb from a small beach town in Massachusetts, to be closer to her daughter, Garet Green, who lives in the same neighborhood, and two sisters
140
2013/14 COBB FACTBOOK
and a stepmother who live in metro Atlanta. Her son, Kaden Jacobucci, also moved to the area shortly after Cook. “I absolutely love living in east Cobb,” she said. “The people are friendly, practically everybody I meet is in a book club and the gardening is fabulous. It feels like home already, and it's great to be so close to family.” For Cook, who was raised with seven siblings, family is important. “Holidays are wonderful but to me there is nothing like that walk after dinner or the spontaneous times to just be able to get together and trade things from your garden or fun things like that. It’s those day-to-day things that I think are most important,” she said. Maybe it’s her Irish roots, but Cook repeats how lucky she is, not only in regards to her success, but in having two adult children that she enjoys spending time with. “They are two of my favorite people in the whole world to hang out with. They are just great. I can’t imagine being luckier — you put your time in when you’re parents and suddenly it all comes back and it’s