Two book posts in one week??? Who am I?
My favorite night of each month was Tuesday, so I have to share. My Book B*tches read Heartburn by Nora Ephron for the month of March. I was unaware of this book’s existence until my friend, Deidre, chose it for book club. Heartburn was recently reissued to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its release. Until now, I was only familiar with Nora’s brilliant works as a filmmaker. If you’re wondering who Nora Ephron is, here is her wikipedia entry:
Nora Ephron (/ˈɛfrən/ EF-rən;[1] May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American writer, playwright, journalist, and filmmaker. Known for writing and directing romantic comedy films, she received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Writers Guild of America Awards.[2]
Ephron started her career writing the screenplays for Silkwood (1983), Heartburn (1986), and When Harry Met Sally… (1989), the last of which earned the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, and was ranked by the Writers Guild of America as the 40th greatest screenplay of all-time.[2][3][4] She made her directorial film debut with the comedy drama This Is My Life (1992), and was followed by the romantic comedies Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Michael (1996), You’ve Got Mail (1998), Bewitched (2005), and the biographical film Julie & Julia (2009).
Ephron’s first produced play, Imaginary Friends (2002), was honored as one of the ten best plays of the 2002–03 New York theatre season.[5] She also co-authored the Drama Desk Award–winning theatrical production Love, Loss, and What I Wore.[6][7] In 2013, she received a posthumous Tony Award nomination for Best Play for Lucky Guy, her last play.[8] She also wrote columns for Esquire, Cosmopolitan, and The New Yorker.
Incredible, right?
Heartburn
Here’s a synopsis:
Is it possible to write a sidesplitting novel about the breakup of the perfect marriage? If the writer is Nora Ephron, the answer is a resounding yes. In this inspired confection of adultery, revenge, group therapy, and pot roast, the creator of Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally… reminds us that comedy depends on anguish as surely as a proper gravy depends on flour and butter.
Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. The fact that the other woman has “a neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb and you should see her legs” is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel writes cookbooks for a living. And in between trying to win Mark back and loudly wishing him dead, Ephron’s irrepressible heroine offers some of her favorite recipes.
Heartburn is a sinfully delicious novel, as soul-satisfying as mashed potatoes and as airy as a perfect soufflé.
Imagine my surprise when I learned that the queen of the romcom wrote this heartbreaking story of betrayal based on her own life. Apparently it was quite scandalous as she didn’t go to much effort to conceal the identities of the “characters.” Honestly, I applaud her for that. If you’re like me and dying to know who the real Thelma is, it’s Baroness Margaret Ann Jay of Paddington. Her father was British Prime Minister James Callaghan. Nora’s ex husband is Carl Bernstein. Yes, the same Carl Bernstein that worked alongside Bob Woodward reporting on Watergate. His dating history is mind blowing. Truth is always stranger than fiction. I’m glad I discovered all of these juicy details before reading the book. I think it adds to the story. The B*tches all enjoyed this book, although I think those of us that read it versus listened to it liked it more. The audible is read by Meryl Streep (she and Jack Nicholson portray Rachel and Mark in the 1986 film), but several B*tches felt she didn’t seem angry enough.
Heartburn is full of Rachel’s delicious recipes, which is super helpful when trying to come up with a themed menu for book club! My friend prepared the famous vinaigrette, pot roast and mashed potatoes. Dessert was peach pie. Pie is not usually my top choice for dessert, but this was quite possibly the most delicious pie I’ve ever tasted. Deidre, you out did yourself! If you want a scandalous read AND tasty recipes, click here: https://amzn.to/4uYAez4
We had a large crew at this month’s gathering. One of our B*tches already left before we snapped a picture, so I photoshopped her in. Ha!
Book B*tches
Happy reading!
