Delilah White may not have it all, but what she does have is
"bliss." Bliss, as in "Domestic Bliss," the name of the television
show for which she has become an idol to millions of American
would-be Martha Stewarts. Her fantastic boss Agnes and her best
friend Sofia, the production designer, give her all the support she
needs. But when Agnes ventures off the show for greener pastures,
her spot as executive producer is open suddenly, and Delilah, the
perfectionist, learns she has to remove her kid gloves to make the
kind of impression that will win her this coveted promotion.

Naturally, someone stands in Delilah's way: Her nemesis Margo, the
girl-with-runway-model looks, also wants the job. Thus ensues a
nasty race for the top-dog spot, culminating in some particularly
nutty antics at Sofia's wealthy family's Catskills estate, where
the Fourth of July festivities mix rather poorly with love, liquor
and lies.

You can read this on a train or in a plane. In fact, I think THE
PERFECTLY TRUE TALES OF A PERFECT SIZE 12 is the kind of book you
can read while straphanging between boroughs on the New York City
subway system. Robin Gold's debut is a veritable treasure trove of
funny plot lines concerning the stealing of and lying to
boyfriends, the way women stick together in a time of crisis (or
not), rich people being completely and wonderfully goofy because
they have money, the way that drunk women in slinky shoes can't
make it across a summer lawn without falling flat on their faces,
the misunderstanding of the boss for whom someone has been working
for so long, having a crisis of confidence when the good employee
suddenly turns "bad" or seems to… The list can go on and on.
This is a fun book and a fast read, mostly because you'll recognize
everybody in it.

The one thing that it relies on to make it stand out is the fact
that Delilah is a size 12. Imagine that! She's a full-fledged,
full-figured 12 who catches a guy's eye and feels good about
herself in dresses that really hug her curves. So, I guess we could
call this Jennifer Weiner-lite. Delilah eats like a
regular human, and we cringe when she gets called "porky" or
"fatty" in public.

I think what is most intriguing about this book is that, like an
old episode of "I Love Lucy," slapstick and pathos mix together in
an old-fashioned tale about how the good get what they really want
and the bad get what they really deserve. She describes the weekend
craziness in pitch-perfect detail, and Sofia's family ---
especially Delilah's love interest, cousin Jack --- seem ready-made
for Central Casting. But you won't be bored. The story moves
quickly, and before you know it, all the world is right
again.

So, for those of you lucky enough to get a winter resort vacation,
take Delilah along. Put this one in your beach bag and enjoy it
with a silly tropical drink or two or three --- just like Delilah
and Sofia (or Lucy and Ethel) would if they were there!