Wendy French After the Rice

After the Rice

Wendy French

Forge, Apr 2006, $12.95

ISBN: 0765313766

In Victoria, Canada, Megan and Matt have not yet celebrated their first anniversary together, but she feels overwhelmed and stressed out by the demands of both their families. She believes she has enough on her plate with returning to school and just the typical adjustments that any couple in their first year as husband and wife goes through though they are obviously in love with one another.

Her older sister Karen, still breast-feeding, needs a break before she suffers a breakdown so she unceremoniously dumps her "Pink Tyrant" of an infant off on Megan while their other sibling Andrea nests on the couch. Worse, her drunken Uncle Tony takes over the cottage's basement. Finally with mid-terms coming soon, her in-laws scheduled an anniversary dinner on the same date and time that Megan and Matt are expected to attend a gala at her great-aunt's home in which Megan's parents expect them there. However, the real cloud is that Megan believes she is pregnant though she and Matt agreed to never have children. As she struggles with what to do, she finds herself never alone with Matt to simply talk with him about how he feels now that she is carrying.

This zany tale contains a strong subplot about pregnancy which is handled deftly while never losing the wit or denigrating the personnel decision. The storyline is filled with an ensemble cast, but each including the dog and the tyrant has distinct personalities emphasized by their demands and wants. Megan is terrific as the focus of the plot as she goes from beleaguered to over the edge. Fans of family dramas filled with humor and seriousness that blend brilliantly together will appreciate this strong look at relationships AFTER THE RICE is tossed.

Harriet Klausner