Book Review
Certain Girls
by Jennifer Weiner
Atria Books © 2008
Plot Summary:
Cannie Shapiro won. The smart and witty heroine who won us over in Good in Bed is now a mother to her beautiful and smart 12-year old daughter. She and her gorgeous husband have built a comfortable life together, currently overwhelmed with planning their increasingly-distant daughter’s bat mitzvah.
Told through the perspective of both Cannie and her teen-aged daughter, Joy, Certain Girls is a story about mother and daughter forced to confront their history and their future.
Cannie’s world has become delightful and predictable as she writes adventure books under a pseudonym, volunteers for the library and serves as an emergency “out” for her BFF, Samantha, as she searches for a date for her brother’s wedding.
The predictability of her life is called into question when Cannie’s husband, Peter, decides he wants to have a baby. A difficult labor with her daughter means that Peter and Cannie must try to navigate the murky waters of finding a surrogate and finding the right time to bring in their daughter, Joy, to the conversation.
Joy knew that her mother wrote a book 12 years earlier, published under her own name. She knew that the book contained “adult” stories she was too young to read. When she is convinced to read the book, she discovers secrets about her mother and the story of her own conception that send her on a journey to discover the truth about her family and what it means to be loved.
My Thoughts:
The smart, sassy dialogue readers have come to expect from Jennifer Weiner does not disappoint. We cannot help but fall back in love with the beautiful and imperfect Cannie Shapiro. I was particularly drawn to Cannie’s relationship with her husband, Peter.
Cannie and Peter seem to live in their own private world. They have a deep understanding, love and respect for one another which is enviable. Peter sensitively handles banter with Cannie while not allowing the banter to be the deflection from a difficult topic Cannie might want it to become. Peter is a terrific husband and a lovely step father to their daughter, Joy.
Joy’s journey of discovery did become a bit tedious to me, however. After some soul searching, I realized Joy frustrated me by being the impatient, impertinent teenager of my past. She seeks what we all seek, confirmation of our family’s love and acceptance.