Wednesday, March 14, 2007

The Yummy Mummy

The Yummy Mummy
I came across The Yummy Mummy when doing a search on Amazon for this book (which I also purchased, so watch for a review in future). I bought The Yummy Mummy because it's British, it's about babies, and I thought it would be a fun read. Well, it sort of was--I do like the baby details, and the whole English thing (like when the characters sit down for tea and cake--love that), and the story was mildly absorbing I suppose, but it just wasn't good. The main character, Amy, has a 6 month old baby girl and a possibly philandering boyfriend. Amy is supposed to have been "thrown for a loop" by new motherhood, and has let herself go. A contrast is drawn between the mothers she knows through her childbirth class (the earth mother types) and her new friend, Alice, a yummy mummy who wants to make Amy over. Amy goes along with it, Joe the boyfriend thought she was better before the makeover, and an unfortunate tryst between Amy and her pilates instructor leads to disaster. Aside the fact that the story was not all that compelling, and the author is trying to be funny but isn't all that funny (the book is no Bridget Jones, alas), the author seems really freaked out by the earth mothers and keeps describing how dirty their houses are, how the cake one of them serves has a hair in it, and my personal favorite, describing lactating breasts as "huge purple boobs." I really think the author has a problem with breastfeeding--it was weird! I give this book two stars. Any suggestions on what I should read next? (By the way, I read two FABULOUS books while on maternity leave: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which may now be my favorite book ever! and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which is a fascinating look at China a long time ago--with tons of info about foot binding that I had never known before. I highly recommend both books).

1 comment:

Holly C. said...

I love your blog and was reading your archives and saw that you loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. That's my favorite book of all time. But-have you read Betty Smith's other books-Joy in the Morning, Maggie-Now, and Tomorrow will be better? They're really good too, especially Joy in the Morning and Maggie Now.

Hope your little one continues to do well!