Author Jennifer Weiner, spoke to a group of women at Franklin County Conservatory on November 2. The Jewish Federation’s women’s philanthropy group brought her to Columbus, Ohio.
Weiner, dressed in a cheerful blue dress, was friendly, compassionate, engaging, and hilarious.
This New York Times best selling author is talking to all women, but she resonates with the ones who don’t fit into a size 2.
Her first book, “Good in Bed” was all about an overly sized woman who delighted in sex.
She talked about how difficult it is to be overweight, and lonely in this society. But, she does it in a humorous way. She recalled how the first agent she interacted with wanted the character to only be 15 to 20 pounds overweight. And she wanted her to change the title because how could an obese woman be “good in bed?
Weiner also speaks to all sizes and shapes of women. ” What I like about her is her honesty .”
She was promoting her book, “Hungry Heart” that is a biography. She read excerpts from the book, which focuses on her less than perfect family.
Her grandmother, who is now 101, is a central character, and so is her mother, Francis, who discovered her true sexuality after her divorce. Getting used to her newly claimed homosexuality was difficult for the traditional family to accept.
Weiner also speaks to all sizes and shapes of women. ” What I like about her is how honest she is”, stated several avid readers.
Her fans in the audience truly love her. They thanked her for speaking up for them, being real, and honest. One woman tearfully told her how much she appreciated her speaking for her.
One questions asked was about how mothers can make sure their daughters don’t fall into the trap of hating themselves because they’re not the “perfect” shape. Wiener said she wished she had the answer for that. She thought one approach is to tell them over and over, “they’re beautiful from the inside and outside.”
“The Littlest Bookfoot,” is a children’s trilogy mixing mystery, adventure, and coming of age themes. Weiner mentioned that this book will turn into a television series or movie.
Considering it’s become socially acceptable to fat shame and bully, We all need someone like Jennifer Weiner to speak up for those made to feel less than.
My Life in my 60's 