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Book Review of Smart Women

Smart Women
Smart Women
Author: Judy Blume
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Hardcover
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It's just barely possible that people who bought Judy Blume's "Smart Women" might have a case if they sued for false advertising.

Because none of the women in this supposedly grown-up love story is particularly smart. There's BB, whose epic temper tantrum on receiving the news that her ex-husband is moving to Boulder to be closer to their pre-teen daughter sets up her response to virtually every bump in the road. BB is capricious, controlling, and bitchy. She inexplicably asks her acquaintance, Margo, to help find a suitable apartment for him. (Okay, there's an explanation -- Blume needs to set up the emotional triangle, and to do it quickly, because there's not much else going on up to that point except mother-daughter sniping.) And when Mr. Ex comes over one evening to find Margo soaking in her hot tub, he promptly drops trou and climbs in. At which point a truly Smart Woman would have called 911.

There's also Clare, whose mutual friendship with Margo and BB sort of sets things into motion. Clare has her own marital oddity -- a wealthy husband from whom she is not quite divorced ("when you have lots of money, it's complicated") and a daughter named Puffin. Seriously. Puffin. No wonder the kid makes a monumental, life-altering mistake -- but don't worry, it's dealt with in three pages and never really mentioned again. The not-quite-ex husband also proves useful, plugging up a minor plot hole near the end.

The whole thing is tedious and overwrought and can't decide whether it wants to be about the adults' let's-change-partners-and-dance antics or about the assorted teen and pre-teen children, trying to deal with the emotional fall-out of adults acting childishly and children trying to be adults too soon.