Babyfat

I absolutely do not fit the profile of one who decides to read a book based on its title and book cover, but that’s exactly what led me to this great novel, Babyfat by Candida Pugh. Usually, I assess a book of fiction before I decide to read it by spending probably waaay too much time looking at reviews and ratings, so I’m not one of those folks you see at bookstores just browsing around and picking a book off-the-shelf just because there’s something about it that attracts me, but, for some reason I saw this on my Kindle app and thought what could go wrong for only $2.99.

And, what a page turner this book is!! I find, with so much fiction that I read lately, that so many books start out with a bang capturing me in the first 20 to 50 pages and then it’s downhill from there. However, Babyfat had a propulsive forward motion to it and I read it in about two sittings, very rare for me. The prose is so rich in startling, vivid metaphor and the writing is so very beautiful and poetic. The dialogue has such verbal intensity. The book was such a pleasure to read despite its serious concerns of domestic, political, and personal life, parenting, relationships, and sexuality. It’s about one woman’s struggle to make sense of and seek purpose in her life amidst insurmountable challenges. The scenes move at a great clip so you feel like you’re living in an action movie (I sure can see how this novel could be made into a film). The ending if full of surprises, too.

I hope that, if you pick up this book, that you enjoy it as much as I did.

BABY FAT by Candida Pugh is a very interesting book. Set in San Francisco, the story revolves around Jean Frazier, a woman in her early 40's who seems to be at loose ends with her life. She has always coddled her husband, and her 2 daughters are coming into their own and she has a hard time relating to them. Jean decides to aggressively take on a cause, the way she did in the 60's when she joined socialist and labor movements (this book takes place in the 80's).

This book is a mixture between family relationships and strife with a little bit (not too much to turn you off) of politics thrown in. After I read past the 50% mark I just could not put it down; I had to find out how this story ended. The ending was somewhat satisfying as it seems like Jean pretty much gets what she wants and needs but that is up to personal speculation. You really just can't guess until the last couple chapters when the story unfolds. The process is a personal journey for Jean with obstacles of life thrown in for reality's sake.

BABY FAT is a very good read. I'm surprised that there are no other reviews yet. I can recommend this book as something different, engrossing, and very unique.