c Waterloo Public Library 2007
Several years ago I discovered Sarah Strohmeyer's series of books about Bubbles Yablonsky (including Bubbles Unbound, Bubbles A Broad, Bubbles in Trouble, and Bubbles Ablaze). Bubbles is a hairdresser turned journalist (thanks to her local Community College) whose appearance is more like a Barbie Doll than Barbara Walters. Bubbles is a wonderful character, and every bit as entertaining as Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, and her adventures are filled with a lively cast of characters.
So, when I saw a new book by Strohmeyer called The Cinderella Pact on the shelves of the Waterloo Public Library, I grabbed it--no questions asked. As it turns out, however, Bubbles makes only a brief cameo in the book. This story is about another wonderful woman named Nola Devlin who is leading a double life. As a magazine editor, Nola feels all but invisible; she's overweight and not very assertive. When an opening comes up for a new columnist at her magazine, she submits a sample column but it is rejected outright by her boss.
Frustrated, Nola decides to create an altar ego, the glamorous Belinda Apple, and submits "Belinda's columns," which result in a big contract. Belinda's columns quickly become a major hit with readers, and soon stories are appearing about Belinda's adventures and romances. In the meantime, Nola and her two friends--who are both overweight as well--decide to form the Cinderella Pact to change their lives by losing weight.
About the same time, Nola's younger sister gets engaged and agonizes over the details of her wedding, Nola's mother frets about Nola's marital state, and Nola meets a mysterious stranger who she mistakes for a coworker. The book follows the three friends' efforts to exercise and diet, and support each other, as well as the unraveling of Belinda Apple's true identity.
Strohmeyer's grasp of dialogue, description, and popular culture combine with her wicked sense of humor and overall storytelling skills. She shows the depth of female friendship, and the bond experienced by women who have known each other since high school. She also explores some of the themes of how our society views "fat" and "thin," as well as the internal transformation that comes with weight loss.
I highly recommend The Cinderella Pact; while I will still be looking forward to the next book featuring Bubbles, I wouldn't mind reading more about Nola. You can find Sarah Strohmeyer's The Cinderella Pact in the Large Print section of the fiction department of the Waterloo Public Library.
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