Measure By Measure [Paperback]

Rebecca Fox (Author), William Sherman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2009

When blonde, Rubenesque paralegal Jenny Taylor is coaxed by her boss Lissa to a dance sponsored by the Midwestern chapter of RADFAm, a national fat advocacy organization, this wild new romantic world throws her into a spin. For within the group's gang of full-figured friends and their admirers lies the tantalizing chance for love and betrayal, couplings and contretemps. The well-rounded cast of suds-worthy singles includes: Misty Shores, super-sized spiritual guide and entrepreneuse; Greg Dillman, Armani-armored chubby chaser on the prowl; Connie Donovan, a raven-tressed and roundly rumped fashion diva who mows a swath of spurned paramours; Paul Daily, a lanky teacher who learns more than he'd imagined about plump pretties; and Joseph Rivera, a hunky sous chef forever seeking a BBW who measures up to his ideal. It's robust, comic romance as Jenny and her friends flesh out the truth about soap opera: It's not just for the rich and slender. Taken from the online cyber-serial, Measure By Measure is a Tales of the City for the fat and fabulous!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a lengthy but engaging story that lives up to its promise of being a soap opera in prose....The characters and plot show that within any culture lies the capacity to hate, malign, ostracize, and stigmatize....this is a totally unique type of story that I found both fascinating and very person....It's real in its honesty about relationships and being fat, and gives those of us who have been there a nod in mainstream media,"

Robin Kavanaugh
BlogCritics.odg

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Author

In 1997 Bill & I introduced Measure By Measure as an online serialized soap opera, developing and honing it over several years and countless hundreds of miles. My aging, ailing mother was living alone, 50 miles away, and our near-weekly visits offered uninterrupted time for conversation, perfect for exploring this fat-topian fantasy. As longtime supporters of the factual NAAFA, we'd captured remembrances of friends, conventions and events that helped flesh out our fictional characters with a Windy City flair. Bill and I cherished those scenic sojourns, even as we watched Mom struggle and fail. Measure became our creative respite from worry and despair.

Mom, you were always beautiful in my eyes, size 14 and beyond. But out of decades-old vestiges of your childhood size issues sprouted seeds of my own quarter-century of body-hatred. I pray now that, in reading this story, mothers and daughters can break the chair of self-loathing and embrace their unique personal power. And maybe then your self-doubts can be exorcised as well.

Rebecca Fox

Writing this book with my lovely wife has been a heady experience. Becky is my Jenny/Misty/Ann, and working with her on this sprawling saga has been elevating, maddening, energizing, and, ultimately, bonding. It took a long time for this book to get finished, but I'm profoundly grateful we both had that time.

William Sherman

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Pearlsong Press (June 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597190179
• ISBN-13: 978-1597190176
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,294,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Real people, real life, real love, August 26, 2011

By 

1627Pilgrim - See all my reviews

This review is from: Measure By Measure (Paperback)

This complex and fast-moving romantic adventure is filled with engaging, deftly rendered characters, suspense, humor, intrigue and heart: all the best a really good soap opera has to offer. During my savoring of the saga I lost track of the number of times I read aloud to others one of its apt insights, delightful phrasings or evocative descriptions. You may recognize people you have known (and perhaps yourselves) among its cast.

5.0 out of 5 stars Big, Big Love, March 17, 2011

By 

Lynne Murray "Author" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Measure By Measure (Paperback)

One of the first questions I hear from women who hear about size acceptance is, "Is it really true that there are men who prefer fat women?" Yes, Virginia, there are fat admirers in the world. This book is unique in that it kisses and tells (in fictional form, of course!) about that social world. So far this is the only novel I've found that provides an entertaining, positive look into the plus-sized dating scene.

The co-authors are a couple who established a chapter of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) in Central Illinois in the 1990s, and the romances, triangles and soap opera stories in Measure by Measure come from a truth they have both witnessed and lived. I found the characters engaging and enjoyed rooting for star-crossed lovers to get together, unraveling a mystery and watching the devious doings fat-admiring Don Juans and at least one fat femme fatale. It's a fun, hopeful book!

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tale lovingly told, August 18, 2010

By 

Durinz Day "Durin" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Measure By Measure (Kindle Edition)

For those of who are not aware of the Fat Subculture and dating scene this book will seem a little strange.

I believe that once you get your mind wrapped around the fact that there are Men that like fat women this book should read like a normal soap opera.

I thought the writing was very good throughout. I was very interested in several of the Characters especially Misty and Joe. The only problem I had is I did not find the resolution of the Neeko storyline to be satisfactory.

One thing I found endearing but might bother some picky readers is the fact that the technology as described in this book puts it somewhere in the 90's

I am normally a swords and horses fantasy reader and I found the change of pace of reading this soap opera quite enjoyable.

Keep them Coming!