FAT FRIDAYS
by Judith Keim
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Five Women, Five Stories, Five Reasons to Band Together
Following an ugly divorce, Sukie Skidmore is invited to join four other women for Fat Friday lunches, where everybody orders whatever they want, no calories counted. But their fun, friendly gatherings take a dark turn when one of the women shares shocking news that puts them all in jeopardy and each woman has strong reasons to believe she might be in danger. Facing an uncertain future, the women support one another through surprising situations as they search for the love and happiness each deserves.
A story of strong women and the friendships they form to help each other through difficult times. These five women, of varying ages, each have a different story. Betsy, the oldest, is a widow who's never known true love; Tiffany, the youngest, is discovering being married to a wealthy young man from a prominent family isn't all it's cracked up to be; naive Carol Ann is looking for the perfect man; Lynn is a mystery to them all until she tells them she's not who they think she is. It is Sukie who holds the group together even as she must decide if it's worth taking a chance on new love.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
Her mother-in-law's smooth, oversprayed hair would frizz in a minute if she knew what Tiffany really thought about her, the family's phoniness, and the stomach-clenching way they made her feel.
The woman's narrow face and small dark eyes reminded her of watercolor drawings of a weasel she'd recently seen in a picture book.
Gasping like a goldfish whose bowl has just been shattered, Edythe stared at Sukie wide-eyed.
My Review:
Small town small minds are in full force with their own special blend of Southern judgmental sniping and vicious gossip - even during church. Having spent my unfortunate formative years in a similar inbred hamlet, I concur with Ms. Keim's astute observations and insights. Five women met for lunch every Friday and actually eat what they want without care of calories - hence the Fat in the Fat Fridays title - so clever. I adored the premise, storyline, and odd collection of characters. Each woman was facing their own personal challenges and found solace and uplifting support in their weekly lunch meetings, which expanded to more frequent everyday contacts and deeper friendships. They treated each other better than their own families and banded together to form an alliance when their selfish and priggish family members turned against them. Written from a third person POV, the narrative was well-paced, intriguing, eventful, engaging, and entertaining. I am more than eager to dive into the next installment I see listed as Sassy Saturdays. This was first Judith Keim experience, and I was an instant fan.
Empress DJ
About the Author
Judith Keim was born and raised in Elmira, New York, and now makes her home in Idaho with her husband and long-haired dachshund, Winston, and other members of her family.
Growing up, books were always present - being read, ready to go back to the library or about to be discovered. Information from the books was shared in general conversation, giving all of us in the family a wealth of knowledge and a lot of imagination. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to the idea of writing stories early on. I particularly love to write about women who face unexpected challenges with strength and find love along the way. As J.S. Keim I write children's middle-grade novels. I love to write about kids who have interesting, fun, exciting experiences with creatures real and fantastical and with characters who learn to see the world in a different way.
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