I recently joined Swap Tree a book trading site. It’s pretty great. Get rid of the books you don’t want and trade them for what you do. My recent arrivals: American Wife and In Her Shoes. I’ve seen the big screen version of In Her Shoes many times and am drawn to the story line although I don’t have a sister. I also recently found out that the author, Jennifer Weiner, is a former journalist. So I wanted to check out her writing style and the original story line of In Her Shoes. I’ve really enjoyed her ability to write about the women in the story, and how they view themselves. Though you may not specifically identify with the characters, their struggles are relatable and interesting. In her first description of Maggie (played by Cameron Diaz in the movie), it shows how she sees herself in relation to her sister Rose, a successful, but frumpy lawyer:
SHE, Maggie, had something of worth, something rare and precious, possessed by few, coveted by many–a terrific body. One hundred and six pounds stretched over five feet and six inches, all of it tanning-bed basted, toned, plucked, waxed, moisturized, deodorized, perfumed, perfect.
I think Weiner hones in on the fact that many women want to be this, and achieve this “perfection.” When I encounter women who fit this description, I often wonder what they hope to achieve by appearing so put together. What are they really in need of? Weiner shows how Maggie uses this look as her “weapon” of proving her worth, even though she’s miserable on the inside. By the same token, Maggie’s sister Rose is described as the exact opposite, but feels as though she’s less worthy because she doesn’t have the outward beauty like her sister:
WHEN she looked in the mirror, she saw nothing but an ordinary girl, a plain Jane, a grown-up bookworm with a decent wardrobe–size fourteen, brown hair and brown eyes, thick straight eyebrows, and a chin that jutted forward slightly as if to say, You and what army?
It’s not something I’m able to do very often, but I find it fun to read a book for the purpose of seeing how the author pieced the story together, and taking note of what storytelling tools are employed. I’ll plan to post more on other good morsels found in this book.
