Book Review of "Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs" by Cheryl Peck
AUTHOR: Cheryl Peck
ISBN: 978-0-44669-2-298
PUBLISHER: Grand Central Publishing
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
BOOK BLURB:
Cheryl Peck has many stories to tell ~ of her naughty cat, her quirky family, and her experiences as a large gay woman in the American heartland. In this collection of personal essays and poems, Ms. Peck talks about family and growing up, love and loss. With self-deprecating humor and compassionate insight, she remembers the time she hit her baby sister in the head with a rock, how her father taught her to swim by throwing her into deep water, and the day when ~ while weighing in at 300 pounds ~ she became an inspirational goddess at her gym.
BOOK REVIEW:
Oh my. If the cover doesn't clue you in to what kind of book this is ~ check out the cat in the wig & specks ~ then you're in for a wild ride. This book is a trip. Ms. Peck has a sharp sense of humor and isn't above poking fun at anyone, including herself.
Originally self-published for her friends, her family, and her cat (a woman after my own heart!), this book is a fun romp through someone else's life. She pulls no punches in recounting the way she terrorized her younger sisters and peers by being driven to be the "first, fastest, loudest and best" in everything, and it's so refreshing to read about an overweight woman who isn't trying to fit into the heroin-chick mold everyone else strives to fill. She has no qualms telling it like it is, makes no excuses and offers no apologies, and you can't help but love her for that.
In regards to the title, she says, "No self-respecting fat girl ever really trusts a lawn chair." She tackles everything from weight issues to peeing in the woods ~ nothing is sacred to her, nothing is out of bounds. And cat lovers will enjoy the few essays written from the point of view of Babycakes, her spoiled feline friend.
One of the better memoirs I've read in a while. So many women will relate to Ms. Peck, regardless of their own personal sexuality. I look forward to reading more of her work.
The Contributor has no connection to nor was paid by the brand or product described in this content.
Published by J.M. Snyder
I write gay erotic/romantic fiction. I've been published by Amber Allure, eXcessica, and Torquere Press, and my short fiction has appeared in anthologies by Cleis Press and Alyson Books. In 2010 I started my... View profile
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