Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

Posted on May 29, 2009 
Filed under Books, Crime, Fiction, Humor and tagged , , , , ,

goodnight nobody Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

At first glance, “Goodnight Nobody” appears to be your run of the mill classic chick lit.  While it is true that there are elements that will appeal to the traditional chick lit audience, the reality is that this is also a fantastic murder mystery, as well as an unapologetic commentary on the way women tend to lose themselves in their duties to others. It comes  from one of the most laugh out loud and brutally honest authors I’ve read in years, Jennifer Weiner.

The story involves housewife Kate Klein, who has been transplanted from New York City to the quiet town of Upchurch, Connecticut. She is married to a kind but distant career minded man and has 3 children.

While in the city, Kate herself was on the fast track as a journalist, and enjoyed fun nights out on the town with her best friend, Janie. But in Connecticut, she lives in a world of supermommies, mini vans, and designer diaper bags. Kate struggles to fit in, but she finds that she just isn’t really cut out for mommy-and-me pilates.  She remembers what it was like to be a free spirited writer, and grows weary of domestic life.

Her world is shaken by the murder of mommy extraordinaire, Kitty Cavanaugh, whose body Kate herself discovers. She finds herself completely wrapped up in trying to find the killer, and through this, discovers that not everything is what it seems in this perfect little town.

Things become more complicated when she finds that there is a connection between the deceased Kitty and Kate’s old flame, Evan. Although she hasn’t seen him for years, they meet again, and team up to try to get to the bottom of Kitty’s murder. In the process, they begin to rekindle some of those old feelings, leaving Kate confused and distracted as she tries to navigate her way through her feelings for Evan and her commitment to her husband.

“Goodnight Nobody” is a funny and honest look at how women struggle to fit in, and how boredom and doubt can sneak their way into even the most seemingly ideal of situations. The outcome is not necessarily what you would expect, and we are left relating to Kate, and cheering for her as she tries to find herself in a world where everyone tries to tell her who she should be, and where her loyalties should lie.   The title is a reference to the children’s book, “Goodnight Moon” in which a child says good night to everything in sight.  Kate says good night to nobody, spending most nights sleeping alone while her husband works.

The dialogue is funny and sincere, with some of the best comic relief delivered by best friend Janie, who joins Kate on her journey, and goes from drinking martinis in the city to Vodka and Pedialite cocktails in the suburbs.

I recommend this book especially to all women who find themselves trying to live up to standards that others have set for them, and who yearn to be loved in the way they deserve, without losing themselves in the process.
Natalina

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Comments



3 Responses to “Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner”

  1.  cheryl on May 29th, 2009 9:44 pm

    Sounds good. I love murder mysteries and it’s even better if you can inject some wry humour into them. I’ve never heard of the author, I my just look her up!

  2.  officegirl on May 30th, 2009 8:44 pm

    Hiya

    Sounds like some great reading. I’m off to pick up a copy tomorrow during lunch. Thanks for the recommendation. How many pages is it?

  3.  Natalina on May 31st, 2009 1:29 am

    Hey Cheryl. Give the book a whirl. Truly funny and kinda heartbreaking, with some great mystery wrapped in. And read some of her other stuff too! She’s a phenomenally funny writer.

    Officegirl, Oh I hope you like it. It’s really shortish, under 400 pages. I read it in a day. Let me know what you think!

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