Stephanie Klein, known for her extremely popular site Greek Tragedy, began her writing career by exploring life as a young divorcee and documenting it daily online. What quickly resulted was legions of fans, a book and tv deal and a husband. Her life is the stuff of fiction and that’s how the best memoirs tend to read, with the intensity and honesty of fiction. So what better venue for her to continue to explore than her own life. Klein has a way of distilling the most common moments into periods of great introspection. STRAIGHT UP AND DIRTY was real, raw and honest. It was also charming and entertaining. MOOSE, her sophomore effort, does not disappoint. It documents her childhood struggle with her weight that followed her into adulthood. During her adolescence, Klein was sent to Camp Yansin, an overnight camp for overweight children. What has often become the punchline for cruel jokes, “fat camp” was actually a life-changing event for Klein. Klein excels in her ability to be self-deprecating, painfully honest and can turn a phrase in the tradition of Sedaris. This is sure to be a great summer read…especially for anyone who has ever tried to hide a less than perfect body on a bikini-filled beach.
