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Little Earthquakes [Hardcover]

Jennifer Weiner
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (309 customer reviews)


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Book Description

September 14, 2004
First comes love. Then comes marriage. And then things start to get really interesting...

In "Good in Bed, " Cannie Shapiro conquered public heartbreak and shaky self-esteem. In "In Her Shoes, " Rose and Maggie Feller learned about family secrets and the ties that bind. Now, in Jennifer Weiner's richest, wittiest, most true-to-life novel yet, this highly acclaimed storyteller brings readers a tale of romance, friendship, forgiveness, and extreme sleep deprivation, as three very different women navigate one of life's most wonderful and perilous transitions: the journey of new motherhood.

Rebecca Rothstein-Rabinowitz is a plump, sexy chef who has a wonderful husband, supportive friends, a restaurant that's received citywide acclaim, a beautiful baby girl...and the mother-in-law from hell.

Kelly Day's life looks picture-perfect. But behind the doors of her largely empty apartment, she's struggling to balance work and motherhood and marriage, while entering Oliver's every move (and movement) on a spreadsheet, and dealing with an unemployed husband who seems content to channel-surf for eight hours a day.

And Ayinde Towne is already on shaky ground, trying to live her life to the letter of a how-to guide called "Baby Success, " when her basketball superstar husband breaks her trust at the most vulnerable moment in her life, putting their marriage in peril -- and their new family even more in the public eye.

Then there's Lia Frederick, a Philadelphia native who has just come home, leaving Los Angeles behind, along with her glamorous Hollywood career, her husband, and a tragic secret, to start her life all over again.

With her trademark warmth and humor, Weiner tells the story of what happens after happily ever after...and how an eight-pound bundle of joy can shake up every woman's sense of herself in the world around her.

From prenatal yoga to postbirth sex, from sisters and husbands to mothers and mothers-in-law, "Little Earthquakes" is a frank, funny, fiercely perceptive Diaper Genie-eye view of the comedies and tragedies of love and marriage.



Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Jennifer Weiner, whose novels Good in Bed and In Her Shoes earned her a place among women's book club aficionados everywhere, proves she still has the touch with Little Earthquakes, a tale of love, heartbreak, redemption, and friendship. Weiner's novel centers around four new mothers, all of whom must learn to adjust their lives and their marriages to deal with the challenges of raising children.

Ayinde is a beautiful, biracial newscaster who moves to Philadelphia after her husband, a star player for the NBA, is traded to the 76ers. She meets Becky, an overweight chef who plays the "pregnant or just fat" game every time she passes a mirror, and Kelly, an overachieving event planner who has her whole life mapped out down to the most minute details, after going into labor at a prenatal yoga class. The three become fast friends, and come to rely on each other for everything from burping techniques to intense emotional support. The group grows to include Lia, a semi-famous Hollywood starlet who leaves her husband and returns to Philly after a sudden tragedy.

While Little Earthquakes may leave little to the imagination, and some of the characters are laughably stereotypical (the Mama's boy Jewish doctor and the cheating ball player, to name a few), it is Weiner's gift for creating compelling characters with whom her readers can identify that make her such a successful storyteller. --Gisele Toueg

From Publishers Weekly

In her first and second bestsellers, Good in Bed and In Her Shoes, Weiner came up with female characters so smart, lovable and mordantly funny that they reminded readers that Bridget Jones wasn't the first single woman to light up a bestseller list or the big screen—there were Sheila Levine, Mary and Rhoda, the Golden Girls. Now, just as the star-studded movie version of In Her Shoes is about to be released, Weiner delivers the interwoven tale of four new mothers who come to form a tight posse in contemporary Philadelphia. The heart of this third-person narrative is Becky, an overweight but thoroughly appealing chef at a chic bistro. Married to an adoring doctor and living in a cozy row house, the warm, nurturing Becky is the latest incarnation of Weiner's previous protagonists, as Weiner's fans will recognize as she rushes to help another woman who collapses into sudden, crushing labor pains after a prenatal yoga class ("Being in labor all by herself —no husband around, no friend to hold her hand—was about the worst thing she could imagine," Becky thinks. "Well, that and having her midriff appear on one of those 'Obesity: A National Epidemic' news reports"). The woman whom Becky helps is Ayinde, the gorgeous wife of an NBA superstar. Picturesquely if improbably, she, Becky and another expectant mom, perky blonde Kelly (who was also at the fateful yoga class and lent a helping hand) become fast friends. Eventually, Lia, a beautiful young actress who has left Hollywood for her hometown of Philadelphia in the wake of a tragedy, joins the group. For much of the story, Weiner, a wonderful natural writer and storyteller, renders her characters and their messy, sometimes wrenching lives in details that resonate as the real deal. In the end, alas, she slips in a soapy Hollywood ending. Still, this is a rich portrayal of new motherhood and a fun ride. Weiner's readers will root for her to trust ever more her ability to float between comedy and pathos, leaving the shallows for true and surprising depths.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Atria Books; First Edition edition (September 14, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743470095
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743470094
  • Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.4 x 9.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (309 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JENNIFER WEINER is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of ten books, including Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, which was made into a major motion picture, and The Next Best Thing. A graduate of Princeton University, Weiner lives in Philadelphia with her family. To learn more, find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or at JenniferWeiner.com.

Customer Reviews

The characters are really relatable and real. 4Sterling  |  78 reviewers made a similar statement
Great fun book to read and I def. recommend it. JW  |  59 reviewers made a similar statement
When I started reading this book, I could not put it down. Randi Dillard  |  56 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Good writing style, but didn't spin a good story October 12, 2005
By mysty72
Format:Hardcover
I loved In Her Shoes, but was disappointed with Little Earthquakes. Weiner's writing style and wit were on the mark. But I felt that the characters were one-dimensional, not very sympathetic, and in ways not even likable. There was so much focus on the negative of early motherhood that you never got the sense there was any joy as well. This is especially true of how the husbands are portrayed.

I also felt that some of the plotlines were not plausible. Why would these three girls suddenly become so close so quickly just because they took a yoga class together? Also, if a woman loses her child, would she really find solace in OTHER people's children? Not only does it seem creepy that she comes across as a bit of a stalker, but I just don't buy that this is how a woman deals with this kind of pain.

Eventually the story started to drag. I began to care less and less what happened to these glum women, just the opposite of how I felt about Maggie and Rose Feller of In Her Shoes.
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28 of 32 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Highly overrated November 7, 2005
By Winkie
Format:Paperback
This book had great potential and at first I couldn't put it down. Unfortunately, the characters never developed and by the end I was sick and tired of their whining. The characters were very stereotypical and while much was made of the trials of motherhood, the author never really showed us the joys that make it all worthwhile. I'm a working mom who's also experienced the pain of losing a baby and I was extremely disappointed in the storyline for Lia. There was a better story there than the one that was written.
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40 of 49 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars well...it certainly makes motherhood depressing July 5, 2005
Format:Paperback
I am a bit surprised by the amount of reviewers who feel this book would be perfect for new mothers. While it was realistic in the sense that motherhood isn't easy or fun ALL OF THE TIME, it certainly makes becoming a mother seem like one of the most miserable, marriage-wrecking experiences a woman can find herself in.

I just found all of the women EXTREMELY unrealistic. Kelly is a materialistic complainer, and can't even have a rational discussion with her husband? Instead, she gets bent out of shape because he gets laid off, and basically considers him one step above fungus? Please! No man (or woman) would stand around while their mate chastised them. The explanation of her "awful" childhood is supposed to make us understand, but instead, it made me sick to my stomach whenever it was her turn to speak in the book.

Becky, supposedly the funny one since she threw out the most sarcastic comments of the group, all of a SUDDEN changes her heart about her psychotic mother-in-law? Honestly, I was suffocating in the sugary-sweet sap this author was gagging me with here. Plus, she lets some freaky, creepy stranger into her home, etc? Way to watch out, Becky. How about we let the stalker babysit?

Ayinde....obvious character....takes her cheating husband back. I can't begin to tell you how realistic it is that she would want the other woman's phone number...sure, let's be a happy family after my husband nationally embarasses me.

Lia...ok, because so many men would just take their wives back after she ditches them for a year? Oh, and the mother is waiting with open arms after Lia selfishly leaves her for 11 years?

None of these characters were sympathetic or likeable. They complained constantly, and magically everything pulls itself together in the end. I would never recommend this book to a new mother...it would probably depress her too much.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and light
A quick read, likable characters - a good beach read. The plot wasn't anything unusual and everything felt a bit formulaic but still enjoyable.
Published 1 month ago by Banana
5.0 out of 5 stars I love all her books
I love all of her books and she didn't disappoint in this one either. It's definitely worth the read, and it goes fast
Published 2 months ago by citypreppy
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Completely enjoyed each character and every bend in thus story. Thankful to have the memories of these women's trials as if they were my own with lessons to live by. READ IT!!!
Published 2 months ago by Lindsay Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming
Being a young wife and a mother to 2 little ones I can relate to a lot of parts of the book. Different parts of each woman remind me of myself. Definitely a good read!
Published 2 months ago by Amy C.
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, effortless read
I love Jennifer Weiner's books because they are so well written and engrossing. I didn't want to put down the book. I was engrossed in the developing friendships. Read more
Published 3 months ago by elizabeth
3.0 out of 5 stars A little slow
This was a story about a group of women and their babies. I found it slow at times, but worth the read. Just don't expect much excitement.
Published 3 months ago by Tom Leddy
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great novel by Jennifer Weiner
I am a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner, and this book did not disappoint! It was such a fun read, and it really hits home if you have recently had a baby. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lynnette Bellin
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
I could not put this book down. Each character was unique and believable and I found myself both laughing and crying at times. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Deja08
5.0 out of 5 stars Newborn mommies unite
This was the perfect read for the mother of a newborn. You laugh, you cry and all of a sudden feel as though there really are others who understand!
Published 4 months ago by Amber K Webb
5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite of all her books
i loved this book. This one was my favorite. She is a great writer. I plan to read them all over the next few months.
Published 4 months ago by skatz
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