Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of The Thin Pink Line (Red Dress Ink)

The Thin Pink Line (Red Dress Ink)
reviewed on + 9 more book reviews


An unusual book that a lot of people don't understand, this story is more than just the story of a girl going way too far, pretending to be pregnant. It's the story of how Jane convinces herself that she can be something she's not, at least for a time, then gradually realizes through the help of her friend (I loved the friendship with her gay neighbor) that what she has tried to pull off is morally wrong.

As implausible as the premise of this book sounds, the author pulls it off surprisingly well. Sure, there were times I thought, "Jane couldn't really get away with that." The book is fiction, after all. But, the tangled web of lies, the crazy things that heroine Jane does and says, the friendships and love are all written with enough chastising self-talk on Jane's part--as she deals with the coming reality of the end of her non-pregnancy-- to make the ridiculous scheme an enjoyable read. Very few authors could handle such a wild tale and make it seem even remotely plausible.

It's also noteable that the book is not crude, unlike a lot of chick-lit, and I enjoyed the author's wit. I'll definitely get a copy of the follow-up book.