Author: Kimberly Stuart
Publisher: David. C. Cook
ISBN: 978-0-7814-4892-5

Click Here To Purchase Stretch Marks: A Novel

Author Kimberley Stuart follows up the success of her novel  ‘Act Two’ with this  light hearted look at a young woman’s journey  from unexpected pregnancy  to motherhood. Along the way, she finds friends in some unexpected places, and rebuilds her relationship with her mother. This is no spoiler, however, for the fun of this story is entirely in the journey, brought alive by Stuart’s sparkling prose and a cast of quirky yet believable characters. 

Mia is a young and dedicated social worker, committed to her job and saving the world one vegan meal at a time.  Then she finds herself pregnant and her decision to keep the baby causes her boyfriend Lars to flee.  Mia finds herself alone, wildly hormonal, veering towards meat eating and having tearful conversations with characters on television. Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse – they do! In walks Mia’s mother,  Babs (hilariously described as a ‘Zsa Zsa Gabor’ type) whom Mia has never forgiven for divorcing her father. Babs is  everything Mia is not – loud, brassy and pushy – and she forces herself back into Mia’s life to help her through the pregnancy. 

What follows is a tale both funny and tender, as Mia struggles to endure her mother’s interference, even as she tries to reconcile her feelings for Lars and Adam, the friendly neighbourhood grocer. The   trajectory of this plot is a familiar one. This is, after all, familiar territory in fiction and the tone of the book leaves you in no doubt that a happy ending is around the corner. And yet I was hooked – by Stuart’s skill with words, the characters that she has clearly shaped with love and gentle humour, and the subtle yet touching affirmation of the powers of  love, faith and family. I also liked the way the principal characters evolved through the course of the book. Lars, so easy to hate, struggles to maintain a  bond with the baby even as he acknowledges his relationship with Mia is over. Babs emerges as a tough, strong and compassionate woman willing to stick with her daughter through her problems.  Flor, a pregnant teen that Mia befriends at work finds the courage to make the right choices for herself and her baby. All in all, a book that makes you smile.

Be warned though, the frequent – and very fond - references to food scattered through the book are quite likely to have you bingeing as you read! 


Click Here To Purchase Stretch Marks: A Novel