Jennifer Weiner’s Fly Away Home is my selection for the September Chick Lit Plus Reading Challenge.

I listened to, rather than read, this book.  Fly Away Home tells the story of Sylvie Woodruff and her daughters, Diana and Lizzie. Married for more than thirty years, Sylvie learns that her husband, Senator Richard Woodruff has had an affair.  Sylvie retreats to her family’s beach home in Connecticut to figure out what she wants to do with her marriage, and is ultimately joined by her daughters.

Affairs by politicians and celebrities are nothing new. But Jennifer Weiner explores what happens to the spouses. The betrayed women who stand, at least for a time, beside their contrite husbands.  It is certainly chick-lit, but that doesn’t mean it is dumb. Sylvie, Diana, and Lizzie are all complex characters.  They all are dealing with their own baggage, struggling to just get it right every day.

I typically listen to audiobooks only during my commute, but with this one, I found myself looking for chances to listen.  I was pulled into the story because Sylvie wasn’t weak.  Sure, she was blindsided, but she didn’t just wither up. She also didn’t hatch some crazy revenge plan. She just coped.  Diana and Lizzie weren’t cliched characters, either.  They each bring some depth to their story, and just enough realism to be identifiable.

The thing I liked best is that Weiner could have gone with a typical melodramatic climax. Instead, it was much more subtle, and to me, all the more real. Often times, we don’t recognize the significance  of events while we are in them.

If you’re a “smart” chick lit fan, then check out this one!