My reading time in India was not as fruitful as I thought. I only completed one book, but She's Come Undone was a wonderful read. I had seen Wally Lamb speak at the Tennessee Williams literary festival in New Orleans; he had a wonderful spark and I liked hearing how the plots for this novel and his other book developed. I enjoyed his other book, I Know This Much is True, so I had high hopes for this read.
The book is a memoir of Dolores Price whose intense emotional journey includes gaining weight and losing weight while she becomes emotionally healthy. I could certainly relate to the way weight gain and intense emotional events are related. When I first picked up the book, I did not realize how many sad and horrible things would happen; I found the book hard to get through. However, I could not stop reading because I wanted resolution so badly. From spending so much time around relatives in India who have such a strong vision of what a successful woman looks like, I also found myself noting how easy it is to create an imaginary version of yourself. In the novel, Dolores pretends to be "perfect" in order to have a relationship with a "perfect" man. There are certainly moments in various relationships where I have stretched and thinned the truth. Finally, I was very impressed with the effectiveness of the main characters voice. Throughout the novel, I could see the transformation as Dolores figures out how the various parts of her life come together and seeks closure and resolution.
Recommend to a friend: YES.
I read this book for two challenges:
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