Little Earthquakes

Starred review from September 13, 2004
In her first and second bestsellers, Good in Bed
and In Her Shoes
, Weiner came up with female characters so smart, lovable and mordantly funny that they reminded readers that Bridget Jones wasn't the first single woman to light up a bestseller list or the big screen—there were Sheila Levine, Mary and Rhoda, the Golden Girls. Now, just as the star-studded movie version of In Her Shoes
is about to be released, Weiner delivers the interwoven tale of four new mothers who come to form a tight posse in contemporary Philadelphia. The heart of this third-person narrative is Becky, an overweight but thoroughly appealing chef at a chic bistro. Married to an adoring doctor and living in a cozy row house, the warm, nurturing Becky is the latest incarnation of Weiner's previous protagonists, as Weiner's fans will recognize as she rushes to help another woman who collapses into sudden, crushing labor pains after a prenatal yoga class ("Being in labor all by herself —no husband around, no friend to hold her hand—was about the worst thing she could imagine," Becky thinks. "Well, that and having her midriff appear on one of those 'Obesity: A National Epidemic' news reports"). The woman whom Becky helps is Ayinde, the gorgeous wife of an NBA superstar. Picturesquely if improbably, she, Becky and another expectant mom, perky blonde Kelly (who was also at the fateful yoga class and lent a helping hand) become fast friends. Eventually, Lia, a beautiful young actress who has left Hollywood for her hometown of Philadelphia in the wake of a tragedy, joins the group. For much of the story, Weiner, a wonderful natural writer and storyteller, renders her characters and their messy, sometimes wrenching lives in details that resonate as the real deal. In the end, alas, she slips in a soapy Hollywood ending. Still, this is a rich portrayal of new motherhood and a fun ride. Weiner's readers will root for her to trust ever more her ability to float between comedy and pathos, leaving the shallows for true and surprising depths. Agent, Joanna Pulcini Literary Management. Major ad/promo; 13-city author tour.

Three young pregnant women, Becky, Kelly, and Ayinde, meet and become friends, going through their deliveries and new motherhood together. More than friends, the women become sounding boards for one another. A tragedy has ripped apart the life of a fourth woman, Lia, who gradually becomes part of the group. Johanna Parker has a light, lovely voice for narration. She gives an enthusiastic performance as each of the new moms, their helpful and not-so-helpful husbands, an assortment of crazed mothers, and one very crazy mother-in-law. She even makes a credible baby. While she can't keep the ending from sounding too neat to be believed, Parker's lively narration does make this bestselling novelist's honest storytelling and believable dialogue even more enjoyable. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine