Trust

I have been busy the last couple weeks and neglected the blog... the reason for my negligence is that I've been finishing my novel and polishing it for submission. I've also been researching agents and trying to get a feel for what kind of work they represent. I read Kate Veitch's Trust because I'm interested in her agent. I enjoyed Veitch's writing much more than I did the story, though I wouldn't say the storyline is bad exactly. This book is what would be considered “women's fiction” and I was reading it at a time I was grappling with the meaning of that word. I have never heard of “men's fiction” and don't like that men writers get to be “literary” while a woman's writing gets packaged and discredited because of the gender of the author. However, as I read Trust I realized perhaps there is a reason for this separate genre of women's fiction. The cover says it all really—two glossy blond heads with the provoking question—What if your perfect life was based on lies? Because that's what happens in these books, the main character is a likable woman whose life is more or less perfect and then it crumbles apart and she is left to “pick up the pieces” and finds her inner strength. It's a far cry from “chick lit” because the writing is often absolutely phenomenal and the plot line isn't formulaic, nor is it necessarily “girl snags guy.” But yes, it is women's fiction because the cover alone would exempt 99% of all men from even thinking about picking it up. It is often heart-warming, not trashy, and enjoyable to read. I find comfort in these kinds of books and though I found myself annoyed at Veitch several times (at one part the characters are in book club, discussing her own first novel... a new marketing gimmick?), I did finish it and that says something as I'll abandon a book that feels like a waste of my time.