
Alicia 'Plum' Kettle, a morbidly obese woman, lives a secluded life while working as an anonymous advice columnist to save up for weight reduction surgery. However, her life takes a turn when she encounters a feminist collective, Calliope House, and becomes entangled in their fight against societal expectations. As Plum learns to love herself, a guerrilla group named Jennifer starts targeting misogynists, leading Plum to question conformity versus self-acceptance. The book transitions from a story about weight loss struggles to an underground revolution against sexism, showcasing a mix of real issues and political satire.
Plum's journey in 'Dietland' navigates themes of body image, fat shaming, feminism, and self-acceptance. The narrative unfolds as Plum connects with women challenging societal norms, leading her to question her desire for thinness and embrace her true self. The book delves into the complexities of modern society's treatment of women, blending humor, outrage, and introspection to provoke thought and spark conversations about gender expectations and liberation.
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The book contains themes of body shaming, violence against women, and discussions around weight loss surgery and mental health.
From The Publisher:
AN AMC ORIGINAL SERIES
FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MARTI NOXON,
STARRING JOY NASH AND JULIANNA MARGULIES
A Best Book of the Year
Entertainment Weekly
Bustle
Amazon
Women's National Book Association
Kirkus Reviews
BookPage
Kobo
LitReactor
"Audacious and gutsy and heartbreaking - Dietland completely blew me away." - Jennifer Weiner
The diet revolution is here. And it's armed.
Plum Kettle does her best not to be noticed, because when you're fat, to be noticed is to be judged. With her job answering fan mail for a teen magazine, she is biding her time until her weight-loss surgery. But when a mysterious woman in colorful tights and combat boots begins following her, Plum falls down a rabbit hole into the world of Calliope House - an underground community of women who reject society's rules - and is forced to confront the real costs of becoming "beautiful." At the same time, a guerilla group begins terrorizing a world that mistreats women, and Plum becomes entangled in a sinister plot. The consequences are explosive.
"A giddy revenge fantasy that will shake up your thinking and burrow under your skin" (Entertainment Weekly), Dietland takes on the beauty industry, gender inequality, and our weight-loss obsession - with fists flying.
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About the Author:
Sarai Walker is the author of the novel Dietland, which has been published in more than a dozen countries and adapted as a television series for AMC. She has lectured on feminism and body image internationally, and has spoken about these topics widely in the media. Her articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and elsewhere, and she worked as a writer and editor on an updated version of Our Bodies, Ourselves. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Bennington College and a PhD in English from the University of London. She lives in Philadelphia.
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