Our guest today: Zoe Fishman
Why we love her: Her writing is insightful and heartfelt!
Her latest: Saving Ruth
The scoop on it: When Ruth returns home to the South for the summer after her freshman year at college, a near tragedy pushes her to uncover family truths and take a good look at the woman she wants to become.
Growing up in Alabama, all Ruth Wasserman wanted was to be a blond Baptist cheerleader. But as a curly-haired Jew with a rampant sweet tooth and a smart mouth, this was an impossible dream. Not helping the situation was her older brother, David—a soccer star whose good looks, smarts, and popularity reigned at school and at home. College provided an escape route and Ruth took it.
Now home for the summer, she's back lifeguarding and coaching alongside David, and although the job is the same, nothing else is. She's a prisoner of her low self-esteem and unhealthy relationship with food, David is closed off and distant in a way he's never been before, and their parents are struggling with the reality of an empty nest. When a near drowning happens on their watch, a storm of repercussions forces Ruth and David to confront long-ignored truths about their town, their family, and themselves.
Our thoughts: Liz devoured it over spring break while sitting by the pool sipping margaritas. She LOVED it with a capital L! Throw it into your beach bag pronto.
Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and be entered to win! We'll choose the winners Sunday May 20th after 6pm PST.
Fun Fact: Zoe met her husband on the subway after working up the nerve for years to say hello to him. Awwwww....
CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ZOE FISHMAN'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME
1.Have a point of view. It’s okay to have an opinion that’s different from everyone else’s. If you believe strongly in or about something, speak up. Who cares if some people are annoyed, or you ruffle a feather or two? As long as you speak from the heart and are respectful of the other perspective, you’re golden.
2.Leave your hair alone. Your hair is curly. Put down the hair drier, invest in a killer product and let it be. Looking like ZZ Top is not the look.
3.Devote about 85% of the energy you waste obsessing about boys and your weight to reading and writing. Oy. If I had a penny for every journal entry that went on and on about some idiot that treated me like crap or my food ingestion guilt, I would be a very rich woman. Personal enrichment is a much better idea than driving past some guy’s house 16 times on a Saturday afternoon. Not that I ever did that.
4.Raise your hand more in class. Ask questions. If you’re unsure about something, ask! No question is dumb. Well, some questions are dumb, but I happen to know that you are smart enough to know the difference.
5.It’s okay to be vulnerable. You don’t have to be a tough girl all the time. Softness is actually a very endearing quality. Besides, you’re really not fooling the people that know you best.
Thanks Zoe! xoxo, L&L
To read more about Zoe, head on over to her website or find her on Facebook and Twitter.