HUNGRY HEART by Jennifer Weiner

I have long been a fan of Jennifer Weiner's fictional work. Her earlier novels, including my personal favourite GOOD IN BED, spoke to me, and I have eagerly read everything that she has written since. HUNGRY HEART, though a departure from her usual works of fiction, was no exception to my rule. This collection of non-fictional essays promises to reveal parts of Jennifer previously unknown to the public, including her memories of growing up an overweight child, her abandonment by her father, her traumatic birth experience, and how she found her way to writing fiction. I picked it up and devoured her stories from beginning to end.

HUNGRY HEART toyed with my emotions- but in a good way! I especially related to her essays about weight and hunger. These are feelings that I have struggled with my whole life, and if I'm being honest it was a big part of what attracted me to this book in the first place. I long to 'know' people who feel the way that I feel, even if it is through the pages of the book. I cheered as I read about her successes (such as having her first book published- yay!) and I felt sympathy for her as she experienced some really low lows. There were a few of the essays that didn't particularly interest me and I found myself skimming them but overall I found HUNGRY HEART to be a unique and relevant memoir that reflects on the many facets of being a woman, a person, a mother, and an author.

I didn't know that it was even possible but I found myself liking Jennifer Weiner even more after I read her memoir. Each essay is short enough that you can read through the book in bite-sized pieces without losing the plot, which is perfect for busy people, and there are many parts of her memoir that I found myself going back and reading through again. Weiner has written a unique memoir that may not appeal to all, but will truly resonate in some way or form, for many. I, luckily, am one of the ones that it resonated with an I am happy that I had the opportunity to read it. I can't recommend it enough to any of Weiner's fans who have ever wondered about the woman behind the book.

My thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review. I voluntarily reviewed this product.