Every now and then, right in the middle of an ordinary day, a woman rebels, kicks up her heels, and commits a small act of liberation.
What would you do, if you were going to break out and away? Go AWOL from Weight Watchers and spend an entire day eating every single thing you want–and then some? Start a dating service for people over fifty to reclaim the razzle-dazzle in your life–or your marriage? Seek comfort in the face of aging, look for love in the midst of loss, find friendship in the most surprising of places?
Imagine that the people in these wonderful stories–who do all of these things and more–are asking you: What would you do, if nobody was looking?
"And Other Small Acts of Liberation..."
Elizabeth Berg's charming collection of stories, The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation is all about real-life experiences, focusing on those anecdotal moments that women can relate to.
In the title story, we can identify completely with the woman who is totally frustrated by following her Weight Watchers diet and takes a day off to eat just everything imaginable - all of the donuts she wants, cream in her coffee, real butter and syrup - and when she isn't eating all of these forbidden foods, she is fantasizing about them. In her experiment, though, she finds that she doesn't eat quite as much as she would have thought - her habit of self-control is entrenched - but just being able to eat some of what she wants is truly pleasurable.
In another story - "Truth or Dare" - three women who have only recently met in a yoga class have become good friends. They are all divorced and middle-aged. They meet weekly for lunch. On one such occasion, they all decide to look somebody up from the past - from when they were young - perhaps an old boyfriend; then when they meet again, they will tell each other all about it. The key is to do something that's a little bit risky - maybe even frightening.
Like her novels, Berg's stories reflect real-life experiences in such a down-to-earth way that the reader is totally engrossed in the moments she describes.
Recommended for anyone who is a Berg fan, along with those who enjoy a collection of memorable stories that remind the reader of something in her own life; moments that describe events that make us uniquely human, and perhaps flawed.
Laurel-Rain Snow
Buy The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation by Elizabeth Berg At The Lowest Price!
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