BOOK REVIEW- Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

Jennifer Weiner's first two books were pretty standard chick-lit fare- and I loved them. Her fourth book,Goodnight Nobody was chick-lit murder mystery - and loved it. Her third book, 2004's Little Earthquakes was her first foray into "mommy lit"- told from four different women's perspectives, all of whom recently became mothers and are struggling to varying degrees. She employs her trademark charm and good humour, and her writing style is beautiful (enviably so). So what's my problem?

I suppose I should come clean: I'm probably the least broody woman on the planet, so this book was never really aimed at me.  But if it had a strong enough story, I could have seen around the endless talk of post-baby exhaustion and nipple confusion... but as it happens, I couldn't. I know those subjects are fascinating for new mothers (which Weiner was at the time she wrote this) but they're far less interesting to the rest of us!

Another disappointment was the characters, who I felt were pretty clichéd: there's Ayinde, the rich insecure one, uptight perfectionist Kelly and plump-but-happy Kelly, a chef and the most sympathetic character by far (based on Jennifer Weiner herself, I'm betting - her best characters are always the ones who seem most like her). Kelly's chapters were the only ones I really enjoyed, and I found myself wishing the whole book had been about her. The other women are somewhat irritating and at times I felt they were included just for padding, they really add very little in the way of narrative tension. And then there's the inclusion of Lia, who lost a child in circumstances she still can't talk about, who becomes friends with the other women- which seems incredibly unlikely to me although her grief is very well-described.

I realise I'm making this sound like a terrible book, and it isn't at all- it's just sub-par for this normally excellent author. It's a series of sketches about the difficulties of motherhood, but they don't add up to anything substantial. Weiner's characters may deliver their babies, but her book can't deliver a story.

Rating: 2 out of 5

***DID YOU KNOW?*** Jennifer Weiner has a hugely popular blog, Snarkspot, where she shares gossip and news about upcoming books- including The Guy Not Taken, a collection of short stories about love, available from September in hardback (I'm sure I'll be back to loving her work with this one!)

Like this? Try Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner, Baby on Board by Stephanie Zia.

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