cover image All of Me: A Voluptuous Tale

All of Me: A Voluptuous Tale

Venise T. Berry. Dutton Books, $23.95 (274pp) ISBN 978-0-525-94463-8

Berry's second novel (after her well-received debut So Good) explores the complexities of body-image, weight and self-esteem in the life of African-American TV news reporter Serpentine Williams. Forty years old, with a successful career and loving family, Serpentine is smart, sassy and ambitious, but as the story opens, she's in a hospital after a suicide attempt. The narrative then follows the heroine through her sessions with a psychiatrist, her memories of childhood and adolescence and her history of tormented love relationships--revealing that her negative body image has poisoned many aspects of her life. Fat jokes as a child, fear of men's rejection, the media's constant touting of an unattainable physical ideal have all contributed to her despair. Unjust and painful episodes abound: a fan of her news program approaches her to tell her she's too fat, and television executives argue whether her zaftig appearance is appropriate for her TV image. While the trajectory of Serpentine's depression, as well as her eventual triumph, is poignant and realistic, Berry's style is sometimes erratic. Weaving in platitudes about the evils of advertising between anecdotes from Serpentine's past, Berry brings the protagonist to life as a smart, good-humored and resilient woman, but never convincingly portrays why such a strong person succumbs to disapproval of her appearance. As Serpentine recovers from depression, she finds love, validation in her job, a healthy cure for her self-loathing and renewed faith in herself. The conclusion is tidy but resonant, and the novel addresses the important and generally overlooked issue of body image for African-American women in a winning and absorbing manner. By turns serious and funny, Berry's tale is, in the end, a hopeful one, with a lovable and soul-searching heroine readers will sympathize with, and root for. Agent, Denise Stinson. (Jan.)