Watermelon- Book Review (#1)

In the genre of chick-lits it is rare to find a story of a strong willed woman who proves she doesn’t need a man to be happy. Watermelon by Marian Keyes is one of those rare ones. It is the story of Claire, an Irish born Londoner who on the day she delivers her daughter, discovers that her husband had been cheating on her with their neighbour for the past six months and he is going to leave her to join the other woman. Devastated seem like an understatement when we put ourselves in the scene. With an one day old baby daughter in hand and no husband, her world seems shattered. With no one here to support her emotionally and financially, she decides to go to back to her family in Ireland. Though she comes across as a silly woman who gives in to her whims and fancies rather than the 29 year old woman that she is in the beginning, we get to see her smart and strong headed side as the story moves.

The initial description of her husband James is very 'Prince Charming' type where he is depicted as a true gentleman who got tired of his whimsical wife and decided to have a fling, albeit with an older married woman. It is impossible to believe that he would ever be the guy who wold leave his pregnant wife for another woman and more so for a woman who was mother of three kids making us blame Claire in some way.

As Claire moves in with her family, we get introduced to her slightly dysfunctional family, her father who is a major support, her mother, ever so dotting and kind but old fashioned and very much Christian, her two younger sisters Anna and Helen, both are eccentric and estranged in their own way. Though Anna is still sweet, Helen is haughty and selfish making us want to kill her at times, a feeling echoed by Claire too.

The story becomes gripping as we see how Claire copes up with the betrayal and loss of her husband, thanks to her strange family and her baby daughter and successfully comes out of it. It depicts her vulnerability, her fears, the depression, jealousy, failure and all the negative emotions which she lashes out on her family members who bear it gruntingly.

Slowly she tries to veer herself from all negativity meets an attractive guy and realises that probably all is not lost yet. She finally tries to get on with her life without her husband, only to find him on her doorstep asking her to come back to him. Claire is uttely confused as any woman would be. Should she give him a chance for the sake of their daughter or move on with her new life? Few months ago, she would have done anything to get her "perfect life" back but now things have changed, or have they? Should she let go of the new beginning or hold onto it? The climax is gripping and certainly worth the suspense. In the end, you admire Claire for her decision and fall in love with her and her strange family.Well, for the reasoning behind the name of the novel, it is with reference to her post pregnancy weight making her look like a watermelon.

My opinion- 5 stars. Certainly worth a read! Hoping to read more of Marian Keyes in the future.

Next book review soon to follow, till then keep reading and let me know what you feel about the book.