Jul 30
Little Earthquakes, by Jennifer Weiner
Little Earthquakes is a story about four very different women as they journey into and through the perils of motherhood. Becky is the character i most related to - practical, laid back yet convinced she isn’t doing it right. Ayinde is the wife of a professional athlete who is raising her baby literally “by the book” that her mother gave her. Kelly is something of a control freak materialist who has to learn how to cope when her husband loses his job. And Lia shadows these women as she mourns the child that she lost suddenly. Each of the women undergo small earthquakes in their lives that they have to navigate through.
All these women have problematic relationships with their mothers or mothers-in-law, and the author explores how women handle these relationships while also juggling husbands and jobs and their own needs. Often, they don’t do the juggling act very well. And that’s very honest. I laughed out loud at several scenes in this book. Not being a mother myself, i can only imagine, but my mom-friends assure me it is true to life.
I appreciated the stories of these women. And i can accept it for what it is - a glance into the life of a mother. The book tied itself up too neatly at the end, though. Each character has multiple levels of conflict, and then suddenly at the end of the book, all levels of conflict resolve all at the same time. It’s too convenient. And i understand that it’s fiction and all, and i even like happy endings, but this one was just too fixed.
Overall it was a good read. Nothing inspirational or jaw-dropping or revealing, but very enjoyable and worth the time.
July 31st, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Sounds like an excellent beach read. After reading your post, just sent off for a used paperback of this and of Good in Bed (by the same author) for that exact purpose!