By Ellen Hawley
ISBN: 9781617734519
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: 12/30/2014
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 5 Stars
"Revenge is sweet. Reinventing yourself is even sweeter." -- Cathy Lamb
Abigail is sure the only thing standing between her and happiness is the weight she gained along with her beloved new baby. Until she instantly loses 170 pounds of husband.
When Thad declares that "this whole marriage thing" is no longer working, a shell-shocked Abigail takes her infant daughter, Rosie, and moves back to her parents' house. Floundering, she turns to an imaginary guru and best friend, the author of her new weight-loss book. But surviving heartache, finding a job, and staying sane as a suddenly single new mom isn't easy, especially on a diet--sorry, life journey.
Make an inventory of your skills, Abigail's guru instructs. Abigail loves cooking and preparing food--real food, not the fatless, joyless dishes her diet prescribes, or the instant-frozen-artificially flavored fare she finds in her mother's kitchen. So far, following everyone else's rules has led to being broke, lonely, and facing a lifetime of poached eggs, faux mayonnaise, and jobs in chain restaurants. What might happen if Abigail followed her own recipe for a good life instead?
Bitingly funny, wise, and insightful, Ellen Hawley's fresh new novel is an ode to food and self-discovery for any woman who's ever walked away from a relationship--or a diet--to find what true satisfaction is all about.
My Review
A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Divorce Diet by Ellen Hawley is a fiercely honest, hip, and edgy account of one woman’s journey of marriage, and motherhood to—life after divorce, dieting, single motherhood, survival, and search for an inspiring career; A reinvention--embracing life’s messiness, with hilarious wit and humor!
Abigail loves cooking, being a mother, and her husband, Thad—until one day when Thad decides this life is not for him (wife and daughter, not included). She previously left her job (cooking) years prior, to be a stay-at-home mom. Now she finds herself back at home, living with her mom and dad in a crappy room, (she said she would never come back), as she desperately wanted a different life. A better life.
Now she does not even have her own her possessions, she is jobless, no real job skills, no money or a future she can see, and worst of all, she finds herself overweight. And her husband’s new girlfriend is sleeping on her beloved down pillow!
This is not the life she wanted, or signed up for. Where did it all go wrong, and how did she arrive at this point in her life? She has no motivation, nor encouragement to be skinny and handle all of the above stresses at the same time. What if her husband would want her back?
As readers go on this heartbreaking journey with Abigail and baby Rosie (with the help of her imaginary friend and diet guru), she stumbles through her day, sharing with readers, her daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and exercise plan tidbits (which does not include a lot of exercise, plenty of animal crackers, pop tarts, and lots and lots of coffee).
As she begins to create her new life, she feels she is fighting a losing battle and sees no way out of this hole; with loser jobs, crappy people, no supportive group, and an uncooperative selfish cheating husband who does not want to pay child support, and to boot has to deal with his new girlfriend thrown in her face.
Until she reaches bottom, and digs down a little further to decide she can create her own life, climb out of this hole without the help of a man, and without dead end boring and uninspiring jobs. She begins to make a list of what she wants to do on her own. She knows how to be sarcastic, funny, write, and cook. So how can she put all these together, make money, and do what she loves best to reinvent herself and enjoy her new freedom with her daughter? After all, was her life really all that grand before? So what has she really lost, and what has she gained?
This was my first book by Ellen Hawley and cannot wait to read more! Think Ellen Lee DeGeneres comedian, wit, humor, sweet revenge, new attitude, The Food Channel, a food column, gourmet cooking, recipes, insights, plus some wise life lessons for a dazzling do-over—Your Life Journey.
Loved the quote: “I don’t even know what I did wrong, I say. “He’s having an affair,” she says. He’s not that kind of man.” “Does he have a penis?” He does. I admit he does. “Then he’s that kind of man.”
If you have ever been on a diet, divorced, and jobless (haven’t we all)….this poignant diary like story, mixed with humor The Divorce Diet is for you—leaving you smiling, inspired, and satisfied.
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