cover image THE WEIGHT OF IT: A Story of Two Sisters

THE WEIGHT OF IT: A Story of Two Sisters

Amy Wilensky, . . Holt, $23 (224pp) ISBN 978-0-8050-7312-6

With wisdom, humor and surprising candor, Wilensky (Passing for Normal ) shares the story of two sisters (one year apart) from earliest memory into adulthood. The relationship's bonds and boundaries take on increasing complexity as Wilensky charts her older sister Alison's journey from morbid obesity to thinness following gastric bypass surgery in her late 20s. "Your siblings are the only other citizens from a country nobody else will ever visit," the author observes, but it becomes apparent that these two sisters—despite their closeness—lived in very different places; while they could be strong allies, they were also formidable antagonists. The author's empathy for Alison is stronger now that they are adults. "Alison's weight was and remains so far down on my list of how I would describe her that it would come after 'master Othello player,' 'makes her own fruit-infused vodkas,' and 'has an uncanny ability to find a parking spot in any city in the country,' " declares Wilensky. But this blind spot also meant she was unable to offer comfort to Alison as she encountered the subtle and overt discrimination faced by the obese, affronts detailed in the book. And Wilensky admits she was not above taunting her sister for putting too much butter on a baked potato. The author's recollections shine with love and offer the insights afforded by the passage of time. Wilensky masterfully tells a story that she recognizes is not truly hers to tell. (Feb. 5)

Forecast: Two forthcoming books, Passing for Thin (Forecasts, Nov. 10) and Life Without Ed (Forecasts, Dec. 1 ) address weight issues from a memoir standpoint. The books, which are all being published early next year, could make a smart display to coincide with National Eating Disorders Awareness week, which is in late February.