Mrs Everything by Jennifer Weiner served with Jello salad
My book group is reading this for our December meeting. We usually try to read something we think will be fairly light because the December meeting is all about our cookie exchange. I will actually be going to California for the gathering which will be the first time i'm seeing the group live in 2 years! Woohoo!
I liked this one but didn't love it. I listened to it on audio and it is long! 14+ hours. The narrators do a great job but I just wasn't super interested in the story. It goes back and forth between 2 sisters, Jo and Bethie starting when they are little kids in the 50's and working through their entire lives. There are struggles and turns in their lives they didn't expect. Lots of tough topics including racism, rape, abortion, drug use, etc. throughout it all the sisters tell their stories and even when they go their separate ways, they are still tied together. Jo has 3 daughters of her own and the story starts to become their story also.
Couple of things that I struggled with. I felt like it needed a good editor. the book tried to cover too much. Yes, our lives are full of struggles but did we have to throw in every single struggle you can think of? Being overweight, being sexual molested, being gay, being jewish, being a multiracial couple. The list just keeps going. I appreciated that it added drama but I also think she covered a lot. it makes it hard to really latch on to one issue and feel the struggle. I didn't like Jo's kids very much so when the story started moving to her daughter who is struggling, i didn't enjoy it. I had grown attached to Jo and Bethie but didn't really want to follow along with a new character.
Obviously the names of the characters are a reference to Little Women the ultimate story of sisterly love. If someone ask me about books that influenced my life, Little Women is always on that list. The story of how we love family and how family/sisters are there for each other. Jo and Beth are the sisters that are the most bonded and similar to this story, Jo is a tomboy and trying to figure out who she is.
Overall I give this 3 stars. I enjoyed it enough to finish it and did feel emotionally invested in the characters. But, as stated above, I think less is often more and that was the gap. ⭐⭐⭐
I knew I must post this Thanksgiving weekend. There is a big scene in the first half of the book where Jo makes a jello salad for Thanksgiving and of course it goes bad. It doesn't set up and spills all over the table and ruins the table setting. This leads to giant argument/ confrontation with her mother where hurtful things are said. I grew up with Jello salad for every holiday. Either mom or Nana would make one and the 2 I most remember is the pink jello with pineapple and cream cheese OR the layered salad with bananas and marshmallows topping.
I decided to go with a jello salad that I discovered in college and have made it since then. The strawberry pretzel salad. If you've gone to a picnic in the last 20 years, there is a chance you've had it. I find when I take the other jello salads to dinners with friends, not many folks eat it. There is a jello prejudice thing happening! But folks are more likely to eat this one.
This isn't an original recipe because it is all over Pinterest. I'm going to link in the recipe i used. I made 2 small batches in 8 X 8 pans but the recipe calls for a larger pan. The advantage to 2 small ones is that I can take one and keep one! The other thing I love about Jello salad is that I can tell folks i'm having salad for lunch. Enjoy
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/99853316728984489/
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