For those of you who have not read GOOD IN BED yet, please do - and skip over this post. It will spoil both books for you and I really don't want that.We catch up with Cannie and Joy 13 years later. Many things have changed for them. When we left them - in the final sentences of "Good In Bed" Cannie's screenplay had just been sold and she has a new apartment with a tiny joy and Peter a new love interest.
Joy is no longer a tiny baby but a 13 year old on the verge of having her bat mitzvah. Both girls have to over come the past - which hides many troubling thoughts.
When Cannie was 28 and Joy was still an infant, Cannie wrote a book. In that book she she vents about her past : her father leaving when they were young, growing up with a dysfunctional family - and having her mother become a late-in-life lesbian. In the book Cannie also talks about Bruce and the pain she went through - including the unplanned pregnancy. The book became a best-seller catapulting her into success and fame. After the press died down, Cannie happily took the role as the stay-at-home mother.
Joy wants to know about her past. She's tired of her mother always hovering over her shoulder. She's a grown up now and she doesn't need to be babied. When she gets a copy of her mothers book "Big Girls Don't Cry" the past begins to unveil itself, but also leads to knew questions. Like who is her grandfather? Was her mother really that much of a whore in college? Joy begins to pull away from Cannie.
Both Cannie and Joy have to untangle the past, and learn who they are. Towards the end of the book - and curve ball is thrown. I would have never EVER guessed what happened. I cried - it was so sad - and I still can't believe it happened. I loved "Good In Bed" and now I have "Certian Girls" to add next to it. It's a wonderful book full of laughter, family bonding, love, friendship, loss. I'm glad that we got to see Cannie after the fame and "happily ever after" wore off.
Please read Good In Bed and Certain Girls. You won't be disappointed.
Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner. New York (c) 2008
5 comments:
I loved Good in Bed, but I think I'd have to reread it before reading this one, because I have such vague memories of it! I love revisiting characters years later. Thanks for telling me about this one.
Hahah I've read that book sooo many times I could recite it to you with no problem. Would you like you to send you my copy??
I feel kind of mean saying no thanks, we have it at my library, given the troubles you've been having with your library. Yours probably didn't get it because of the title! :p
Of course your awesome fanstatic library would have CURRENT books. :P
I still haven't gotten books yet that I put on hold 2 months ago. I give up. It's a sign from God that says DON'T LIVE IN NH THEY HAVE SUCKY LIBRARIES! GO BACK TO VA WERE THEY HAVE WONDERFUL LIBRARIES!!
Of course - I don't know if Vince agrees with that ;)
love the blog. i love mutts comics as well. followed.
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