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Two years and 170 pounds ago, Stevie Barrett was wheeled into an operating room for surgery that most likely saved her life. Since that day, a new Stevie has emerged, one who walks without wheezing, plants a garden for self-therapy, and builds and paints fantastical wooden chairs. At thirty-five, Stevie is the one thing she never thought she'd be: thin.
But for everything that's changed, some things remain the same. Stevie's shyness refuses to melt away. She still can't look her gorgeous neighbor in the eye. The Portland law office where she works remains utterly dysfunctional, as does her family—the aunt, uncle, and cousins who took her in when she was a child. To top it off, her once supportive best friend clearly resents her weight loss. But as Stevie starts to uncover some surprising revelations—about who she is, who she wants to be, and how the old Stevie evolved in the first place—she realizes the most important part of her transformation may not be what she's lost, but the courage and confidence she's gathering, day by day.
Praise for the novels of Cathy Lamb
"A story of strength and reconciliation and change." —The Sunday Oregonian
"I loved this beguiling novel about love, friendship and the enchantment of really good chocolate." —Luanne Rice, New York Times-bestselling author
"Lamb is an awesome storyteller and moves seamlessly from the past to the present." —RT Book Reviews
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
August 1, 2010 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780758260826
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780758260826
- File size: 761 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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June 14, 2010
A 30-something's makeover hits a few snags in Lamb's wan latest. Stevie Barrett has lost 170 pounds since she had a heart attack at age 32, but she still struggles with the same old dysfunctions: horrifying memories of her insane mother drowning her sister, the toxic uncle who raised her, and deep insecurities that see her sabotaging herself at every turn. Adjusting to her new body, Stevie struggles to carve a self-image as she helps her cousins plan their parents' 40th anniversary party and battles a moral dilemma at the law firm where she works as a legal assistant. Lamb (The Last Time I Was Me) writes with an acute sensitivity in the quiet sections where Stevie plans her garden and contemplates the ramifications of her dramatic physical change, but these pleasant moments are drowned out by extended slapstick sequences in which her uncle and, in flashback, her mother, display the same outrageous behaviors over and over. Stevie's a winning heroine, but the underdeveloped support cast dominate too much of her show.
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