Big Girls Do Cry [Hardcover]

Carl Weber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 26, 2010

New York Times bestselling author Carl Weber cranks up the heat in this explosive follow-up to Something on the Side--a novel of friendship, family ties, and the bonds--and betrayals--of love. . .

Isis and her sister, Egypt--two of the original curvaceous members of the Big Girls Book Club--have hightailed it out of New York and settled in Richmond, Virginia, where they've started a new chapter of the BGBC. The same rules apply here: You must be at least a bodacious size 14 to join.

Living in the plush suburbs, Isis has it all--almost. The thirty-seven-year-old plus-size beauty is happily married to Rashid, and they're living in the lap of luxury. There's just one thing missing. They want to start a family.

Enter Egypt, who's moved into her sister's McMansion with dreams of starting over. There's just one hitch: before her sister married Rashid, he was Egypt's man for ten years. Egypt thought she was over him, but the close quarters are giving both her and her sister doubts. She's ready to pack her bags until Isis and Rashid ask her for a serious favor. Egypt knows she shouldn't get involved, but she can't say no to her sister--even if the price might be way too high for them all.

Egypt isn't the only one with drama. Rumor has it that Loraine--Isis's brilliant boss and one of BGBC's newest members--is in the running to be her sorority's next national president. But Loraine has more than one secret that will ruin her if they ever see the light of day. Thank goodness only one other person knows them--BGBC's first male member, Jerome--and what he knows just might destroy him.

As friendships and family and past and present collide, these book lovers are about to learn that drama can follow you wherever you go--and that big girls do cry...

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Big Girls Book Club (whose members must be at least a size 14) is back, but it doesn't play a significant role in Weber's wild follow-up to Something on the Side, updating Egypt Robinson's travails with hubby Rashad and her sister, Isis Connors. Egypt's begun a BGBC chapter in Richmond, Virginia, where she and Rashad, a hedge fund manager, are clearly living large. They're currently sharing their lavish estate with Isis who, after attempting suicide, is still nursing a secret love for Rashad (her boyfriend before he married Egypt) and her married New York lover, Tony. After Egypt learns she's unable to carry a baby to term, she asks Isis to be her surrogate, despite her past with Rashad. Isis agrees but difficulties ensue when the paternity of the baby she's delivered comes into question. Jerome, a gay BGBC member who interferes with the marriage of his BGBC friend Loraine Farrow, and a journo stalker who looks like George Clooney, add to the mix. Weber's in top form with this fast-paced and oh-so-zany soap opera.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Sibling rivalry can escalate to open hostility, especially if your sister has married your rich ex-fiancé. But somehow, Isis and Egypt manage to get along. In fact, together they’ve founded a unique book club, The Big Girls Book Club, where members have to be at least a size 14. Egypt moves into Rashid and Isis’ mansion, but the arrangement starts to go south when Egypt realizes her feelings for Rashid, with whom she was involved for 10 years, haven’t completely died. Popular author Weber (The Preacher’s Son, 2005; Up to No Good, 2009) fills his books with lifelike characters—flawed, confused, frustrated, and sometimes plus-sized. His latest is perfect for readers looking for an emotion-filled human drama, and Big Girls Do Cry will be a welcome addition to any library’s African American fiction collection. --Shelley Mosley

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Dafina (January 26, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758231814
• ISBN-13: 978-0758231819
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #425,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BECOME A FAN OF MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE. READ THE FIRST 4 CHAPTERS OF MY NEWEST BOOK THE FAMILY BUSINESS, CO WRITTEN WITH ERIC PETE IN STORES JANUARY 30TH 2012. COPY & PASTE THE LINK BELOW IN YOUR SEARCH BAR AND LIKE THE FAN PAGE.

http://www.facebook.com/IamCarlWeber


Carl Weber is a New York Times and #1 Essence® bestselling novelist.

In addition to his writing, Weber is the founder and publisher of Urban Books and in 2005, he was named Blackboard's Publisher of the Year. He is the owner of the Urban Knowledge chain of book stores and a past recipient of Blackboard's Bookseller of the Year award.

Weber graduated from Virginia State University and holds an MBA in marketing from the University of Virginia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Girls just wanna have fun (and drama... and fun... and drama...), February 9, 2010

By 

Jason Frost "RubiconReader" (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Big Girls Do Cry (Hardcover)

I've got a bone to pick with Mr. Weber. Either he starts selling neck braces and helmets with his books or he and I are going to have serious problems. The ENTIRE time I was reading this book I was beating my freaking head on the wall and shaking my head back and forth saying, "no, no, no, no, NO, NO"!!! Carl Weber must be Swahili for "drama", because... wow!!...Carl brings a whole new meaning to the word!

I really wanted to bang my head against the wall because `STUPID' is too light a word to describe Egypt and Rashad. I mean COME ON!! And let's see if I can think of a word to describe Isis: toxic, demonic, unhinged, possessed, loony, bonkers, deranged, a lunatic nutcase. There. Pick one. Why Egypt keeps trying to help out this half-baked crack-head is way beyond me. I was wondering how this world could deal with a person like Isis. Then it hit me, Satan got tired of her. Carl wrote his butt off with this one y'all.

And, no, I haven't forgotten about Jerome... with his wanna-be-player-ass. He plays best friend, he plays hard-working employee, he plays lover, and he plays other women's husbands... yeah. But even with his playgirl lifestyle I didn't see what I saw until I was forced to see it. There are other relevant characters in this book and they do add gust to the story, but Isis, Egypt, and Jerome win the Oscar!

This is definitely another non-stop winner from Mr. Weber.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Job, January 27, 2010

By 

L. Cox "kecia3207" (Providence, RI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Big Girls Do Cry (Hardcover)

Could you be a surrogate mother, could you be a surrogate mother for your ex-fiance and sister who are now married? Egypt and Isis are back in this tantalizing non stop drama coaster. Egypt is now married to Rashad her Isis's ex-fiance in cruel twist of fate Egypt is unable to carry a much wanted baby to term. After being turned down by her best friend Tammy she goes to the only one she has her sister Isis.

Isis after another suicide attempt is now residing with Egypt and Rashad until she is able to get on her feet. Since she can't have her first choice she falls back on her second choice and the reason behind all her drama the still married Tony.

Enter Lorraine Egypt's boss and newest member of BGBC, Lorraine has issues of her own that would cause anyone to go astray. She confides in her best friend and the only male member of BGBC Jerome. The secrets in Lorianne's life could destroy her and everyone around her.

I loved this book Mr. Weber did and absolutely fantastic job bringing and maintain the drama. I would recommend this book to any everyone that wants to enjoy a terrific read. I give this book 5 stars.

Favorite Character(s): James

Least Favorite Character(s): Egypt and Rashad - they never took Isis's feeling into consideration.

What did you like about the book? Is showed Egypt and Isis in a new light.

What did you NOT like about the book? Honestly I loved the book it was a little slow in the beginning but once it picked up it never stopped.

Reviewed By Kecia

For: Readers in Motion Book Club

[...]

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Oversized Drama!, June 5, 2010

By 

K. Augustine (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Big Girls Do Cry (Hardcover)

This installment picks back up with sisters Egypt and Isis and the newest chapter of The Big Girls Book Club in Richmond, Virginia. Egypt's marriage to Rashad is on the rocks due to struggling unsuccessfully to have a child of their own. After discovering Egypt is barren they choose a traditional surrogacy route, which entails inseminating a woman with Rashad's sperm and then having Egypt adopt the baby. Subsequent to their prospective surrogate backing out of the arrangement and Egypt's best friend refusing to help them, they foolishly turn to Egypt's sister as well as Rashad's ex Isis, to have Rashad's baby for them. Mentally askew and also still in love with her married ex fiance Tony, Isis actually decides that this is the perfect opportunity to break up Egypt's marriage and make Rashad hers again by giving him the biological children that her sister never can and hastily agrees to go through with it. I don't see why adoption wasn't the clear option if they couldn't find another surrogate and the author doesn't make it seem that Rashad is desperate for a biological baby, just a baby. Regardless, Egypt is distressed and hopeless to save her marriage so she has Isis inseminated and this is when her problems begin to intensify and her life is turned upside down.

With the move to another state and a new chapter of the BGBC comes new book club members which include best friends Lorraine and the first ever male member, Jerome. Single, and ready to mingle, Jerome has no qualms about being promiscuous and "hittin' it and quttin' it" with any sexy man he chooses. Before long he ends up breaking the wrong heart and has a slight case of fatal attraction on his hands. Sympathy is originally evoked for Jerome but as the novel progresses and things about his character come to light most of that faded and I was left feeling that he brought it on himself and will hopefully learning a huge lesson. Nobody but Jerome knows about Lorraine's abusive turned adulterous relationship with her husband because from the outside looking in Lorraine has an amazing life that many envy. Other friends and strangers aren't aware that Lorraine is sexually unsatisfied and that she has been finding panties that don't belong to her around the house. Although her marriage to Leon is unquestionably unhealthy she decides to stick around for appearances sake so she can win office of National President of her sorority. That goes out the window though when her husband's mistress shows up at her house to confront her. She decides the best revenge is to cheat herself and soon falls in love with Michael and decides to file for divorce. The only problem is that Leon claims he is completely innocent and stops at nothing to get her back.

This sequel to Something On The Side is sadly not as intriguing as I hoped it would be. Through the entire first half and for a short while beyond this follow up is very slow and predictable. By the time the story line finally accelerated, the book was then over. The level of drama in this novel is absolutely over the top and definitely takes away from the great plot. I love drama but not to the point that it becomes unbelievable, that makes the novel grow boring very quickly. The trilogy is already in the works so of course the novel left us with entire scenarios let alone questions that need to be addressed. I will pick up the third book because I would like to see what becomes of the characters but I really hope the next book is more like the first.