Diners. Dolly Parton. Drag Queens. What more alliteration could I add to truly express how iconic and endearing this book is? Julie Murphy’s Dumplin tells the story of Dolly Parton devotee and plus size teenager, Willowdean Dickson, who is the daughter of an ex beauty-queen diet obsessed mum. Willowdeans mum runs the annual Miss Tenn Blue Bonnet Pageant, which leaves their house in a constant tornado of glitter and fabric and makeup, stirring the awkward silence that has drained the house since Willowdean’s Aunt Lucy died from a heart attack due to obesity. Willowdean felt that Lucy understood and guided her more than her mother. Lucy shared her love for Dolly Parton and the self-acceptance that her mum is often questioning. When her mother decides it's time to clean out Lucy’s room and turn it into a craft room for the pageant, Willowdean is hugely upset and decides in an impulsive burst of rebellion, both against traditional beauty standards and her mother, that she is going to enter the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant.
This book is very easy to misjudge and fear the typical repetitive narrative of a sad, overweight girl who is misunderstood by her mother and depressed about the world around her sorta thing. Good news: it's not. Willowdean has unshakable confidence and a very strong sense of self. While the story progresses, the reader does get insight towards Willowdeans thoughts and finds out she is less confident that she lets on. However, Willowdean has had to accept herself because she has always known she would never be a picture perfect beauty queen like her mum. Because of this, she is a huge realist and gives many memorable quotes, such as ‘My thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Really, the criteria is simple. Do you have a body? Put a swimsuit on it.’ It's really reassuring to be brought back to reality even in a fictional story.
Of course this book does cover more topics and issues, friends, boys, love, heartbreak, crappy part time jobs. But it doesn’t discuss them more than they need to be discussed because, overall, this book really is just the typical life of a suburban teenage girl. However, this is actually something that makes the reader really appreciate the book. It is easy and enjoyable to read and isn’t trying too hard or making anyone uncomfortable. It still covers many important topics and raises many valid points in subjects such as body image and feminism, but it ultimately is really just an uplifting and easygoing book. And sometimes, especially during times like these, a light and happy book is exactly what you need.
Diners. Dolly Parton. Drag Queens. What more alliteration could I add to truly express how iconic and endearing this book is? Julie Murphy’s Dumplin tells the story of Dolly Parton devotee and plus size teenager, Willowdean Dickson, who is the daughter of an ex beauty-queen diet obsessed mum. Willowdeans mum runs the annual Miss Tenn Blue Bonnet Pageant, which leaves their house in a constant tornado of glitter and fabric and makeup, stirring the awkward silence that has drained the house since Willowdean’s Aunt Lucy died from a heart attack due to obesity. Willowdean felt that Lucy understood and guided her more than her mother. Lucy shared her love for Dolly Parton and the self-acceptance that her mum is often questioning. When her mother decides it's time to clean out Lucy’s room and turn it into a craft room for the pageant, Willowdean is hugely upset and decides in an impulsive burst of rebellion, both against traditional beauty standards and her mother, that she is going to enter the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant.
This book is very easy to misjudge and fear the typical repetitive narrative of a sad, overweight girl who is misunderstood by her mother and depressed about the world around her sorta thing. Good news: it's not. Willowdean has unshakable confidence and a very strong sense of self. While the story progresses, the reader does get insight towards Willowdeans thoughts and finds out she is less confident that she lets on. However, Willowdean has had to accept herself because she has always known she would never be a picture perfect beauty queen like her mum. Because of this, she is a huge realist and gives many memorable quotes, such as ‘My thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Really, the criteria is simple. Do you have a body? Put a swimsuit on it.’ It's really reassuring to be brought back to reality even in a fictional story.
Of course this book does cover more topics and issues, friends, boys, love, heartbreak, crappy part time jobs. But it doesn’t discuss them more than they need to be discussed because, overall, this book really is just the typical life of a suburban teenage girl. However, this is actually something that makes the reader really appreciate the book. It is easy and enjoyable to read and isn’t trying too hard or making anyone uncomfortable. It still covers many important topics and raises many valid points in subjects such as body image and feminism, but it ultimately is really just an uplifting and easygoing book. And sometimes, especially during times like these, a light and happy book is exactly what you need.