Being female, a mixed woman, in this country, meant that every day you had it harder than guys, than white people. Fat, you were judged. Work at not being fat, you might be mocked. But being fat, you could leave many of the playing fields.
If Alice stared into a mirror of the world, she wanted to use wisdom, not reactivity, when she saw her worth reflected. How Libby valued herself would rest on Alice’s strength.
No more falling in and out of happiness based on the approval of any man with whom she happened to lock eyes.
Alice wanted a life that brought pride to her mother and father. For herself, she planned to live righteously, without denial, and with forgiveness. She yearned to bring out the best in Clancy and have him do the same for her—they’d love each other for who they were, not who they might be.
Most important, Alice would live a purposeful life and leave her slice of the world better than she’d found it. If she could manage that, and then pass on to Libby the values her parents entrusted to her and Macon—well, if that happened, as her mother’s people said, dayenu.
It was enough.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
* * *
Writing Waisted allowed me to face many obsessions: my fixation on the number on my scale reigning supreme; how women are judged, above all else, by appearance over the quality of their character; and how wretchedly we divide ourselves by race, culture, and religion.
With Waisted I posed the questions to which I always wanted the answers: How far would you go to lose weight? As a young woman, my friends and I asked one another how many years of our lives we’d give up to lose X, Y, or Z pounds. A question we’d answer so seriously that I now wonder if we thought some angel of the scale might appear to grant our wishes.
Waisted gave me the opportunity to step into the shoes of women who differed from me, in skin color and heritage, but who shared so many of the same fears and hopes for ourselves and for our families.
I am grateful to all the people who helped me during this deep dive into places that were sometimes difficult to explore.
Many people supported me while writing Waisted, but none more than Stéphanie Abou, the most exceptional agent possible. She has been my wise, warm, and determined agent and friend from the beginning. I can’t imagine this journey without her. Thank you Massie & McQuilkin, for being not only a great agency, but an agency with compassion and morals.
Libby McGuire, my publisher, has brought a rush of energy, passion, and excitement to Atria Books, and I am thrilled to be working with her. Rakesh Satyal is an extraordinary editor—he pushed me to higher levels, bringing his skilled and graceful editing hand to every page. Loan Le is a fount of editing strength, warmth, and intelligence. The sales force works hard (and behind the scenes!). A special shout-out to Brandy Bishop, who lifted my spirit and my heart.
Suzanne Donohue and Kimberly Goldstein, thank you for the thousand unthanked things you do for our novels. William Rhino, thank you for your deft hand and attention with an array of artful help. Alysha Bullock and Andrea Gordon’s attention to detail—and my lack there-of—saved me time and again. Kitt Reckord-Mabicka, thank you for the grace and goodwill you bring to Atria and all who enter. Lisa Sciambra, Alison Hinchcliffe, Bianca Salvant, and Tasha Hilton: without you we’d be nowhere! Quite literally.
Philip Bashe, you performed miracles with my error-ridden work and, as always, provided wit and wisdom.
Ann-Marie Nieves of Get Red PR—thank you for not only your incredible work ethic, your fabulous energy, and your super results, but for your unflagging upbeat attitude.
Thank you to Andrea Peskind Katz for unwavering support and wisdom, and for forming the incredible Great Thoughts, Great Readers—and for deep-dive early reads! Nancy MacDonald is a friend, a genius, and a rock of stability who improves everything she touches. Carolyn Ring, I know we have the beginning of a fantastic partnership.
I’d be lost without my writing sisters, who provide ballast, friendship, and love. Ginny Deluca, my first reader, my BFF for decades and forever, thank goodness no topics are off limits between us. Melisse Shapiro: who knew such love, friendship, and writerly admiration could bloom from the first time we met! My beloved and forever writing group—Nichole Bernier, Kathy Crowley, Juliette Fay, and Elizabeth (E.B.) Moore are four of the wisest, warmest (and, when needed, strictest) women in the world.
To my cherished and trusted writer friends—Cecile Corona, Ellen Meeropol, Brunonia Barry, Robin Black, Ann Bauer, Julie Wu—you are all way beyond talented and loving.
Heartfelt thanks to the Grub Street Writers’ Center of Boston—especially Eve Bridburg and Chris Castellani, for bringing writers together and making dreams come true. Much gratitude to Dori Ostermiller for welcoming me to Writer in Progress. Real-life hugs to everyone in the fabulous online Fiction Writer’s Co-op, with a special shout-out to Cathy Buchanan for putting us together and Catherine McKenzie for keeping us that way.
Thank you, Nina Lev, for listening to me agonize and offering “walk” therapy, Kris Alden for telling me which authors I should be reading, and to Stephanie Romanos for being the best road companion possible. Special thanks to a group of writers who energized me when I needed it: Gina Bolvin, Jack Gleason, Katherine Dangler, Liz Kahrs, Evelyn Herwitz, Marianne Lambelet, Marlene Kim, Carol Reichart, Sherrie Ryan, Peter Scanlon, Marshall Stein, and Jackson Tobin.
Deep love and thanks to my family, including sisters of my heart, Peggy Gillespie, Diane Butkus, and Susan Knight. I bask in the love of my cousins Sherri and Steve Danny, sister-in-law Jean Rand, and brother-in-law Bruce Rand.
Thank you to those who own my heart, who offer comfort, joy, and understanding: my children, Becca Wolfson and Sara and Jason Hoots; my granddaughter, Nora Hoots; and my sister and best friend, Jill Meyers. You are all so sweet, loving (and funny!), and always there.
And again, thank you to the love of my life, Jeff Rand, the very best man I know.
WAISTED
RANDY SUSAN MEYERS
This reading group guide for Waisted: A Novel includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
* * *
In this provocative, wildly entertaining, and compelling novel, seven women enrolled in an extreme weight loss documentary discover self-love and sisterhood as they enact a daring revenge against the exploitative filmmakers.
Alice and Daphne, both successful and accomplished working mothers, harbor the same secret: obsession with their weight overshadows concerns about their children, husbands, work-and everything else of importance in their lives. Scales terrify them.
Daphne, plump in a family of model-thin women, learned only slimness earns admiration at her mother’s knee. Alice, breakup skinny when she met her husband, risks losing her marriage if she keeps gaining weight.
The two women meet at Waisted. Located in a remote Vermont mansion, the program promises fast, dramatic weight loss, and Alice, Daphne, and five other women are desperate enough to leave behind their families for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The catch? They must agree to always be on camera; afterward, the world will see Waisted: The Documentary.
The women soon discover that the filmmakers have trapped them in a cruel experiment. With each pound lost, they edge deeper into obsession and instability . . . until they decide to take matters into their own hands.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
* * *
1. How does the mood of the opening scene resonate with you? What did you expect to come after reading this?
2. “What are you?” Alice has gotten this question for most of her life in regards to being mixed-race. How does the question affect her? What role does race play in her identity and her relationships?
3. Describe Alice a
nd Daphne’s relationship to food and their weight. What are the differences and similarities between them? Do either of their relationships to food match yours?
4. After leaving the film awards ceremony, Clancy and Alice have an argument when they arrive home. Read between the lines and dissect what each character is really trying to say. How does the argument affect Alice’s decision to sign up for the documentary-filmed retreat, Waisted?
5. At the wedding of Daphne’s sister, her mother directs some sharp words toward her: “Sunny grabbed Daphne’s upper arm. ’Cover these,’ she whispered. ’The photographer is everywhere’ ”. Why do you think Sunny acts this way toward her daughter? Are her actions fitting for a mother? Could you imagine doing this to your daughter? How would you have reacted if you were in Daphne’s shoes?
6. What does Daphne realize about her parenting tactics toward Audrey? What had been her intention in the first place? Discuss what she may mean by her “body [ruining] relationships”.
7. How do the trainers treat the women upon their arrival? How do you feel about their remarks toward the women and their goals?
8. Besides sharing the experience of acclimating to Waisted’s grueling demands, what bonds Alice, Daphne, and Hania? Describe a few of their conversations. What roles do they each play in this friendship that is engendered by being roommates?
9. The weigh-ins had been humiliating enough for the characters when they were clothed, but the trainers take it a step further by ordering them to strip completely before stepping on the scale. What are some of your reactions to this scene? What did Daphne and Alice’s responses reveal about their character growth?
10. The women’s revenge plan is based on what they discover in the filmmaker’s den? What’s their revenge plan? Where do you think their courage came from?
11. Describe what Daphne and Alice’s lives are like after returning from the mansion. Did their weight loss come at a cost? How do people react to their new appearances?
12. Describe Clancy’s reaction when he learns about Alice’s plans against the filmmakers for Waisted. Are you surprised at all? What are your thoughts on Alice and Clancy’s reconciliation? Do you think the issues brought up in the beginning of the novel are surmountable?
13. How do the characters view themselves in the end? What do you think their lives will be like going forward?
Enhance Your Book Club
* * *
1. “ ‘I wonder if there’s a girl in America who doesn’t grow up wanting to be skinny?’ Alice mused” (pg 115). Reflect on your own relationship with weight and body image. How would you answer Alice’s question? Research the history behind the body positivity movement. Read news articles about the movement today and discuss where it might be going.
2. Discuss reality television shows that focus on weight and body image, such as The Biggest Loser, Extreme Weight Loss, and Celebrity Fit Club. If you haven’t seen these shows, watch a few clips on YouTube. What value do these shows possess? After reading about Waisted and the characters’ experience, what are your thoughts about reality TV?
3. One of Randy Susan Meyers’s many strengths as an author is her ability to depict women whose experiences feel real and universal, such as Daphne striving to find the right dress for her sister’s wedding or her desire to raise her daughter differently than how she was raised by her mother. Alice fears that her weight gain may have caused her husband to cheat, or that her weight lost may cause her daughter to value being thin over all else. Which scenes resonated with you the most? Who do you relate to the most: Alice, Daphne, or Hania?
More from the Author
The Widow of Wall Street
Accidents of Marriage
The Comfort of Lies
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
* * *
Randy Susan Meyers’s internationally bestselling novels are informed by years spent working with families impacted by violence—and a long journey from idolizing bad boys to loving a good man. Her novels have twice been chosen by the Massachusetts Center for the Book as “Must Read Fiction,” who wrote, “The clear and distinctive voice of Randy Susan Meyers will have you enraptured and wanting more.” Waisted is her fifth novel.
The Widow of Wall Street was called “compelling” by Associated Press. Library Journal wrote, “Full of deceit, scandal, and guilt, her novel expertly explores how rising to the top only to hit rock bottom affects a family. The consequences will leave readers reeling.”
People magazine chose Accidents of Marriage as a “Pick of the Week,” writing, “This novel’s unsparing look at emotional abuse and its devastating consequences gives it gravity and bite, while a glimpse into a physically damaged mind both surprises and fascinates.”
The Boston Globe wrote of The Comfort of Lies, “Sharp and biting, and sometimes wickedly funny when the author skewers Boston’s class and neighborhood dividing lines, but it has a lot of heart, too.” The Murderer’s Daughters, Meyers’s debut, was chosen as a month-long Target Book Club pick for the country, a “One-Book-Read” in Boston, and was called a “knock-out debut” by the LA Times.
Meyers teaches writing seminars at Boston’s Grub Street Writers’ Center and Writers in Progress in Northampton, Massachusetts. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Randy now lives in Boston with her husband.
SimonandSchuster.com
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Randy-Susan-Meyers
Facebook.com/AtriaBooks @AtriaBooks @AtriaBooks
ALSO BY RANDY SUSAN MEYERS
The Murderer’s Daughters
The Comfort of Lies
Accidents of Marriage
The Widow of Wall Street
We hope you enjoyed reading this Simon & Schuster ebook.
* * *
Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.
An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Randy Susan Meyers
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Atria Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Atria Books hardcover edition May 2019
and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected].
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Jacket design & illustration by Ella Laytham
Author photograph © Sharona Jacobs
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Meyers, Randy Susan, author.
Title: Waisted : a novel / Randy Susan Meyers.
Description: First Atria Books hardcover edition. | New York : Atria Books, 2019.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018041317 (print) | LCCN 2018042943 (ebook) | ISBN 9781501131417 (ebook) | ISBN 9781501131387 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781501131394 (pbk.)
Classification: LCC PS3613.E9853 (ebook) | LCC PS3613.E9853 W35 2019 (print) | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018041317
ISBN 978-1-5011-3138-7
ISBN 978-1-5011-3141-7 (ebook)
Waisted Page 28