Review: Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski by Joanna Franklin Bell

Summary:

From an award-winning author comes a novel about a 528-pound recluse. Meet Mona Jamborski, who hasn’t left her home in years and is slowly eating herself to death, with one foot in her past memories and another foot in her grave. Mona sees no future for herself until one day, someone knocks on her door and unwittingly leads her into a life-changing decision. Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski is a book filled with the wonders and heartbreaks of human relationships.

Publication Date: August 26, 2014

When I read the blurb for Take a Load Off, Mona Jamborski, I was leery. I read mostly romance novels and when I step out of my comfort zone, I tend to be let down. Luckily, that wasn’t the case here. The novel was beautifully written and thought provoking!

On the outside, Mona doesn’t sound like a character I would have much in common with. She’s trapped not only inside of her own head, but inside her apartment as well. Her scale has toppled over the 500-pound mark and her shame about her weight has led her to avoid interacting with people.

The author did a superb job on Mona’s characterization. Mona is complex and her overeating has nothing to do with food. She is emotionally damaged and doesn’t know how to move past her own fears. The author draws on Mona’s past and present experiences to draw a complete picture of how Mona came to this turning point in her life.

Although there is a lot of emotional depth to the story, I found a lot of humor as well. Between getting choked up over Mona’s solitary confinement, I also found myself laughing at her observations of human behavior.

The book is short, but I felt the length was perfect for Mona’s story. A fabulous must read!

Rating: 5/5 Stars