Don’t be fooled by the title. This is not the story of a big girl who loses weight, falls in love, and lives happily ever after. There are no quick fixes here or traditional fairy tale endings. That is what makes this book special, challenging, and thought provoking. It is the story of Plum, a young woman living, well sort of living, in New York City. She answers advice letters for a teen fashion magazine. She lives alone, works at home, and doesn’t really socialize. She is obese; the official term is morbidly obese, so naturally she doesn’t expect more. She is scheduled for weight loss surgery, after which her life will begin. She believes when she is thin her life be real. In her real life she will have friends; she’ll throw dinner parties, and maybe even have overnight guests. While Plum is putting in time, waiting for her surgery, waiting to release the thin woman inside her, she unexpectedly becomes involved in an underground feminist world she never knew existed. She meets Verena Baptist, the daughter of a late diet industry mogul. Verena takes Plum under her wing, and sets out to prove to her that dieting and surgery are not the only paths to happiness and a meaningful life. At the same time, there are global acts of feminist terrorism happening. Under the name Jennifer, a woman or group of women, have put the world on edge, subverting male power, and asserting the rights of women. Plum doesn’t know what to make of it all, and is surprised to find herself connected to it. This is a novel that challenges the reader, it is graphic and extreme. It goes against long held societal beliefs. Plum is a big heroine who finds self-acceptance and a real life. That is a radical act. From the Kitchener Citizen.
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