In The Breakaway, Jennifer Weiner’s latest contemporary novel, the romance reader gets more than the familiar storyline: boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, and boy gets girl again. New York Times bestselling author Weiner deftly weaves in some serious social issues, while keeping the reader engaged in the question, will Abby find true love in her life?
“The story begins with Abby at age seven falling in love with riding a bike.”
The story begins with Abby at age seven falling in love with riding a bike. She says, “It felt like floating. It felt like flying.” Bike riding gives her relief from the taunts at school, where she’s called Flabby Abby by the boys for being overweight. She also suffers from her mother’s excess attention on what and how much she eats.
Twenty-five years later, she’s part of a bridal party where her friend Marissa suggests she’s next to wed. Abby’s been dating Mark Medoff, who’s loved her since she was thirteen. They met at Camp Golden Hills, a camp parents send their kids to when they’re concerned about their weight. Though she loves Mark, who’s now trimmed down and looks like the perfect catch—good-looking, successful, kind and caring—she’s not in a rush to marry him. She doesn’t feel settled in life, not like her friends who have impressive careers. Having dropped out of a couple of master’s degree programs, Abby works as a dog walker and occasional Uber driver. It’s not what she had in mind when she was growing up.
Abby and Marissa attend a bachelorette party for the bride-to-be at a bar. There, she meets the irresistible Sebastian, a guy who appears to have it all and has no problem getting girls to take home. There’s an immediate attraction and Abby, self-conscious about her weight, is surprised when Sebastian makes a move on her. She’s had sexual experiences before that fizzled when the guy sobered up and didn’t like what he saw. Abby pushes those niggling thoughts aside and enjoys the most amazing night in Sebastian’s arms. She accepts their act as nothing more than a one-night stand and leaves while he’s still asleep. They haven’t exchanged contact information, so it appears whatever sparks flew, are now extinguished for good.
Not wanting to hurt Mark, she doesn’t tell him about her audacious night with Sebastian. Though her friendship with Mark from childhood days had turned to love, Abby finds they have little in common. Mark is steady but compulsive about what he eats. And he doesn’t cycle, which is a passion of hers. Still, she convinces herself she loves him.
But then she runs into an old friend, who’s been having health problems and needs someone to lead a bike trip from New York City to Niagara Falls. Abby considers taking the job, run by Breakaway, a bicycle touring company. Concerned about her own hesitation to tie the knot with Mark, she thinks time away on a bike will give her the opportunity to process her thoughts. It seems like a great idea until her mother and Sebastian show up as members of the bike group she’s leading.
As Abby strives to prove she can lead the group, she has to juggle her ambivalent feelings about her over-involved mother and the man who seduced her a few years back. By delving into Abby’s tricky relationship with her mother, the author artfully shows the damage body shaming has on those with weight issues.
Sexual addiction is the other heavy social issue Weiner tackles. For this one, she cleverly brings in social media to build her case.
In the end, The Breakaway is a good love story, one with heart and depth, leaving the reader both satisfied and enlightened.
Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nineteen books, including That Summer, Big Summer, Mrs. Everything, In Her Shoes, Good in Bed, and a memoir in essays, Hungry Heart. She has appeared on many national television programs, including the Today show and Good Morning America, and her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, among other newspapers and magazines. Jennifer lives with her family in Philadelphia. Visit her online at JenniferWeiner.com.
- Publisher : Atria Books; Canadian Export edition (Aug. 29 2023)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 400 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1668034506
- ISBN-13 : 978-1668034507
