Dumplin’
By: Julie Murphy
Rating: 5 of 5
What a wonderful breath of fresh air! This book was a joy to read and to laugh and, yes, to sigh over (inside joke in the book.) I could have tried to read it in one sitting but I really wanted to space it over two days to lengthen the enjoyment of it.
In the story, Willowdean Dickson (aka “Dumplin’” to her mother), is a high school student who is overweight and has an obsession (in a good way) with Dolly Parton. She calls herself fat and seems to be happy in her own skin. That is, until life starts happening to her. Her beloved Aunt Lucy has passed away from a heart attack brought on by obesity (close to 500 pounds) and Willowdean is trying to get over her loss.
She is a heroine who is, for the most part, not afraid to do what needs to be done. There is one exception and a lot of the book deals with her coming to grips with a sudden unhappiness with how she looks.
She goes through a lot of changes and along the way, she decides to put herself out there and do something fairly outrageous. She is joined by a few other young women who decide it is time to face their futures, too.
I really enjoyed reading this book. While I was not heavy in high school, I was one of the dreaded nerds, so I was also on the outside looking in at the rest of the kids. From the vantage point of many years as an adult and raising children of my own, I would say that most teenagers feel this way, no matter what. In the case of Willowdean, it is all right out there and can be seen the moment she walks into a room. How she deals with her life was inspiring to read. I highly recommend the book and suggest it for reading for teenagers as well as adults.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via the publisher.
What a wonderful breath of fresh air! This book was a joy to read and to laugh and, yes, to sigh over (inside joke in the book.) I could have tried to read it in one sitting but I really wanted to space it over two days to lengthen the enjoyment of it.