Little Earthquakes: A Novel (Washington Square Press)

Honestly...reading this book really made me think long and hard about being a wife and having children. It reads like the harsh truth. The best part of all, it shows that even in trying times there can be a happy ending. The book tells the stories of 4 women (3 whom are pregnant), each of different lives and circumstances who happen to become friends when one of them goes into labor after a yoga class. One after another they give birth and their lives are never the same. From dealing with husbands to mothers-in-law to the babies themselves; life is anything but picture perfect or happily ever after. However, the power of friendship succeeds it all. I have enjoyed all of Weiner's books, this one included. It was quite different from the others, which was nice as well. Her characters quickly endear themselves to you, making it hard to put the book down. If you haven't read her before definitely get Good In Bed, as that is my favorite so far!

This book was read by the author, and she did a beautiful job. She intoned all the subtle jokes and really gave life to the emotions each character was feeling. Her voice is low, gentle and soft but very clear and audible, and portrays emotions well. So thumbs up for the reading. The book itself started out a bit slowly to me, since I like action a bit more than emotions, but by the second CD I was hooked and truly cared about each of the characters. It is definitely women's fiction, it deals a ton with emotions, babies, relationships, and a good portion of the book is women talking about these things with other women. Even with all the talking about feelings, this book managed to be a real hit with me, just because of the author's talent at writing believable characters into believable situations. I cried a few times through the book, and truly cared about what happened. The abridgement was unobtrusive - I wouldn't have known it was abridged if the audiobook hadn't been labeled as such. Fans of her previous books won't be disappointed.

Little Earthquakes is by far Jennifer Weiner's best novel to date. I have read both of her other books Good in Bed and In Her Shoes, which were also great reads. But, Little Earthquakes characters are much developed and you really feel connected to all of the characters. You follow all of the characters through their pregnancies and through some hard times in becoming new mommies. The main character would have to be Rebecca "Becky." Rebecca is a chef of an up and coming restaurant called Mas. Becky is overweight and is feeling that no one can tell that she is pregnant. She decides to join a pregnancy yoga class where she meets some unlikely friends. Becky meets two women there who she will grow to become great friends with. Ayinde is a beautiful woman who is married to an NBA star. During the class Ayinde starts to go into labor and with the help of Becky, and Kelly who was also at the yoga class, they help her get to the hospital. This one event causes little earthquakes to take place in all three of the major characters lives. All of the new mothers have to deal with new challenges that effect their marriages, careers, and new babies' lives. There is another character that helps the new mommies along the way. Lia has just come back to the city where she grew up after leaving her life and a terrible secret behind.

Brilliant. Truly a compelling and fabulous read. I'd read and loved her first two books, but this one far surpassed them for me. All four main characters are well-realized, complicated, interesting women. As they negotiate new parenthood and the various changes in self, worklife, and relationships with family and partners, the characters must find their own solutions and Weiner avoids the easy answers. While Weiner does a wonderful job capturing the mundane practical dilemmas of diapering, cell phone calls from work, mothers-in-law, and so on, she also explores the challenges of how you reconceive your own family after becoming a parent, how you reshape a partnership when you go from being a couple to being a family, and how you revise your sense of self once you're a parent. I especially appreciate how Weiner renders her main characters' male partners in nuanced tones, even while staying firmly focused on viewing the world through the four women's experiences. This is a book I'll be giving my brother, my close friends, and my mother, among many others. It's absolutely not just for new mothers, though that's certainly one group of people who might enjoy the book. It is a compelling read for anyone interested in well-developed characters dealing with tightly plotted storylines in a well-realized physical world. Beautifully done. WARNING: if you find yourself lost in sadness related to losing a child, this may well be a healing book, but you should be prepared to cry.

"Little Earthquakes" was the latest selection in my book group. I wasn't sure what to expect, but after checking out the cover, I had a feeling I was going to enjoy it. And enjoy it I did! What we have are four friends that seriously bond during their pregnancies. Our main leading lady is Becky, who is married to a doctor and somewhat overweight. The other three women are Ayinde, who is married to a famous basketball player; Kelly the requisite perky blonde and Lia, an actress who has left Hollywood. The characters were so well developed that I was able to identify with them and feel their pain, so to speak. "Little Earthquakes" shows the women in all their not-so-perfect glory. We experience the birth of their children, see first hand their lack of sleep and the struggles they face while adjusting to motherhood. All the while, we are laughing along with them, at them and for them. I can't wait to discuss this book with my book group and see how much the other girls enjoyed it. I am going to thoroughly sing its praises to anyone who will listen. This is one great story!