Dietland

by Sarai Walker

A wickedly funny, feminist revenge fantasy novel of one fat woman's fight against sexism and the beauty industry. Dietland will be adapted into AMC's 10-episode straight-to-series starring Julianna Margulies and Joy Nash.

Wow... ferocious and hilarious - Margaret Atwood

A book with a message, loud and clear - Guardian

Plum Kettle does her best not to be noticed, because when you're fat, to be noticed is to be judged. Or mocked. Or worse.
But when a mysterious woman starts following her, Plum finds herself involved with an underground community of women who live life on their own terms. At the same time, a dangerous guerrilla group called "Jennifer" begins to terrorize a world that mistreats women. As Plum grapples with her personal struggles, she becomes entangled in a sinister plot, the consequences of which are explosive.
Part coming-of-age story, part revenge fantasy, Dietland is a bold, original and funny debut that takes on the beauty industry, gender equality and our weight loss obsession - from the inside out, and with fists flying.

• ISBN10: 054437343X
• ISBN13: 9780544373433
• Publish Date: 26 May 2015
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 21 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Houghton Mifflin
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Heather]

I very rarely give out five stars to books but I loved this book! There is so much food for thought here.

Plum has been fat all her life. During her teenage years she spent time in a Jenny Craig-like program run by a woman called Eulaya Baptist. She ordered the meals and went to the meetings. The Baptist Program promised that she would be thin in 9 months. Before the 9 months were up, Eulaya Baptist died unexpectedly and her daughter shut down the programs.

Now, years later, Plum thinks her only option is a gastric bypass. Then her real life can being.


Full review at http://www.spiritblog.net/?p=8789

[lovelybookshelf]

Sometimes, fiction that contains a lot of social commentary and/or satire can start to feel more like a manifesto as the story progresses. That can really bog a reader down. Who wants to feel like they were being preached at? In Dietland, Sarai Walker has found the perfect balance between social commentary and entertaining storytelling. It’s a feminist call to arms that reads like chick lit. Meaty, discussion-worthy issues and a main character who experiences a major transformation, delivered with a lot of fun, a little silly, a healthy dose of mystery, and a dash of action.

More of my thoughts on this title can be found on my blog at Lovely Bookshelf.