From Goodreads: Jennifer Weiner is many things: a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a Twitter phenomenon, and “an unlikely feminist enforcer” (The New Yorker). She’s also a mom, a daughter, and a sister; a former rower and current cyclist; a best friend and a reality TV junkie. In her first foray into nonfiction, she takes the raw stuff of her personal life and spins into a collection of essays on modern womanhood as uproariously funny and moving as the best of Tina Fey, Fran Lebowitz, and Nora Ephron.
Jennifer grew up as an outsider in her picturesque Connecticut hometown (“a Lane Bryant outtake in an Abercrombie & Fitch photo shoot”) and at her Ivy League college, but finally found her people in newsrooms in central Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, and her voice as a novelist, activist, and New York Times columnist.
No subject is off-limits in this intimate and honest essay collection: sex, weight, envy, money, her mom’s newfound lesbianism, and her estranged father’s death. From lonely adolescence to modern childbirth to hearing her six-year-old daughter’s use of the f-word—fat—for the first time, Jennifer Weiner goes there, with the wit and candor that have endeared her to readers all over the world.
By turns hilarious and deeply touching, this collection shows that the woman behind treasured novels like Good in Bed and Best Friends Forever is every bit as winning, smart, and honest in real life as she is in her fiction.
My Thoughts: I fell in love with Jennifer Weiner's books when I read Good in Bed in college. Since then, I have read quite of few of her books and I feel like her books always speak to me. She writes about topics I can relate to and I think that's why I enjoy her books so much.
This memoir, like her novels, spoke to me in ways that I can't even describe. I know it's her life story but there were so many parts of the book that felt so familiar to me. I was an awkward, bookish kid from a dysfunctional family and reading the stories of her childhood made me feel more normal. I especially loved her descriptions of the difficult children in her family, they reminded me very much of my own little girl and cracked me up. Everything she wrote about motherhood was spot on! I also enjoyed her discussion of books and reading and how they impacted her life; as someone who has always been an avid reader, her stories really hit home for me.
Hungry Heart is an incredibly funny book and I found myself laughing out loud multiple times (which is kind of embarrassing when you're in the middle of an airport). But it was also really poignant to read about her father, his issues, and how she and her family dealt with that. I was impressed with her strength and ability to overcome the situation with her father.
Overall, I really, really loved this book. I was impressed with Ms. Weiner's activism, ties to her family and how goal oriented she is. Honestly, after reading this book, I personally see her as a role model for women everywhere. I am so glad I read this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone (even you haven't read Ms. Weiner's works of fiction). 4 1/2 stars.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks for the great review! I didn't know Jennifer Weiner's nonfiction book. This sounds like a great read. I love a good inspiring women's story.
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