Julia’s Chocolates: Chic Lit at its Finest
The Lit Ladies Book Club rallied from the difficult to digest Angela’s Ashes last month, to the eat-it-up-quick-as-you-can Julia’s Chocolates. Cathy Lamb channels The Secret Life of Bees and The Ya-Ya Sisterhood with this turn on a lost soul of tragic beginnings who finds her true self through the company of some very unique and extreme friendships.
Lamb’s story centers on Julia. She is running away from a horrible past and even worse future. We get to witness her growth and awakening in the arms of her Aunt Lydia and a cast full of good friends, good neighbors and even good lovin’. Lamb is at her best when she writes about the funny and endearing moments between the characters. She peppers the book profusely with candid words, and most of the time it adds a nice punch to dialogue and the story. The tension-filled moments don’t deliver as well because you just can’t believe in it. Julia’s fear of her “dreadful disease” and of ex-fiance Robert’s revenge seem too far-fetched. This is Lamb’s own fault. We come to appreciate Julia as a thoughtful and intelligent woman. So much so that even with allowing her battle-scarred insecurities to play a part, you just can’t quite believe she’d leave herself so vulnerable. She’s so insightful with her friends, that she couldn’t be that blind to herself? Right? It’s kind of like watching the movie character walk into the dark house when the door was ajar and they hear footsteps inside. You’re shouting, “Are you an idiot? Don’t go in there! Who would EVER go in there?!” That said (or shouted really), I enjoyed reading Julia’s Chocolates. It made me wish I had an Aunt Lydia. It made me wish I lived in a small town. It made me want a stronger sense of community and an inspired sense of generosity toward family, friends and neighbors. It’s chic lit at it’s finest.
