BOOK NEWS
The Middlesteins, by Jami Attenberg, is about learning how to satisfy your appetite for love, comfort and understanding. The synopsis says: "Edie and Richard have been married for over 30 years, living in the Chicago suburbs. Everyone who knew them - even their own children - agreed that Edie was a tough woman to love, but no one expected Richard to walk out on her, especially not in her condition. Edie is 59 years old, she weighs 300 pounds, and her doctors have told her she'll die if she doesn't stop eating. As Richard is shut out by the family and seeks solace in the world of internet dating, daughter Robin is dragged back from the city and forced to rebuild a relationship with her mother. Meanwhile son Benny and his neurotic wife Rachelle try to take control of the situation. But have any of them stopped to think about whether Edie really wants to be saved?" The Middlesteins is out in October.