Crazy To Leave You

As someone who has struggled with self confidence about my physical appearance for a fair portion of my life, I opened Marilyn Simon Rothstein’s novel, Crazy To Leave You, with a cautious optimism. I wondered if a story about a plus sized woman left at the altar and struggling to cope could actually come off as entertaining as the book jacket suggested. And if so, how would this magic be achieved?

In the opening pages the main character, Lauren, is dumped via phone call just as she is about to walk down the Synagogue aisle. As the story unfolds, I learned that Lauren dieted like a mad woman to fit into her wedding dress and that at age forty-one she views this relationship as her last opportunity to have the family she has always dreamed about. This is described in such vivid detail that I was left unsure as to whether she regretted the loss of her spouse, a man-child that doesn’t even have the decency to break up with her in person and whose parents are insanely controlling and enabling, or simply the loss of that ideal future. Turns out, it’s a little of both.

Lauren is actually very well placed in her career in advertising, but all her accomplishments are overlooked by her fatphobic parents who cannot seem to focus on anything but her weight. Meanwhile, her ex-fiance is just as much a putz as we all suspected, a fact her entire family is quick to point out. As Lauren struggles to recover from the devastation she is surprised by her sister Margot – an overweight actress who moves in uninvited to Lauren’s apartment. Together with their third sister Stephanie – the “perfect” one -and the company chauffeur Margot and Lauren reconfigure their value systems. Lauren forces Margot to deal with her health issues and in turn, learns how to demand the respect she reserves from both her family and her boss.

This could have gone the route of a traditional romance – the broken hearted career girl finding solace in the arms of the company driver – but thankfully it did not. I would have enjoyed such a story far less because I would keep worrying about Lauren never learning to find the affirmation she needs from within herself. Instead, this is more a story about self discovery and forging new paths when all seems lost. With a little romance on the side.

Simon Rothstein’s sense of humor is unique. You are either going to love it or hate it, and if you’ve read any of her previous work you should know by now which camp you fall into. However, there are certain aspects of this book that readers should know before heading in. Lauren’s mother is extremely fatphobic. She will remind you of that person in your life – everyone has one – who always manages to find your scabs and pick at them in the guise of helping you. Lauren’s dieting and bingeing are on full display and readers with an eating disorder should be forewarned that there is graphic bingeing and fad diets galore in these pages. Furthermore, Margot and her health struggles are depicted with a fair amount of comedy. Again, you are either going to love that or hate it.

This is not the book for someone who cannot stand to read about family trauma, fatphobia or health conditions like type two diabetes. It is also not for someone looking for a swoony romance. This is, instead, exactly what the flap cover promised – a book that strives to be humorous and entertaining even when dealing with serious topics.

The reviewer received an e copy of the book from the author in the hopes that she might review it.

Find It: Goodreads | Bookshop | Amazon

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E Broderick is a writer and speculative fiction enthusiast. When not writing she enjoys epic games of trivial pursuit and baking. She currently lives in the U.S. but is eagerly awaiting the day a sentient spaceship offers to take her traveling around the galaxy.