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No Kidding -- Book Review

© Cara Swann

One of the first rules in fiction writing is to create a sympathetic character, one with whom readers can identify. It may be for this reason that so few novelists have tried to create interesting, empathetic childfree women characters, thinking that the majority of readers cannot relate to such a character. However, in the novel, No Kidding by Wendy Tokunaga, not only do we have a sympathetic childfree character with whom it is easy to relate, but an interesting, intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, caring female protagonist.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and even were I not childfree, I could still relate to the protagonist Audrey Mills, a 35-year-old Silicon Valley techie searching for more in her life than marriage and children. Not only does Audrey come across as empathetic toward others, she is deeply compassionate and caring, thoughtful and respectful toward her mother. So much so that she cannot assert herself at times, or frankly tell her mother that she doesn't ever want children, since her mother's hopes of a grandchild hinge on Audrey. As an added conflict, Audrey has a long-time live-in boyfriend who wants to get married, have children and do the suburban thing, which Audrey does not want. She meets a seemingly ideal male at work, they start a relationship and she eventually frees herself of the unsuitable live-in boyfriend only to find complications with her supposedly ideal male. And although the new man in her life doesn't want children either, and they seem to be highly compatible, there are other complications.

This is all played out in the setting of San Francisco, which adds a delightful atmosphere. Additionally, Audrey has some hobbies/interests which I happen to like very much: old classic films and vintage clothing. Her mother was a child actress, and runs a video rental store which specializes in classic movies. There's a great deal of fascinating research woven into the story about restoring old films, bygone movie stars, clothing styles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, as well as film as an art. Told with humor also is the trials and tribulations of being tech help in today's demanding computer field. It's a blending of the old and new, in a manner of speaking, and presents ongoing dilemmas most women in today's career-world can identify with.

At the beginning, there are the usual baby-centric events, showers galore, and pressure for Audrey to conform to the traditional marriage/motherhood roles. The detailed events at showers are very funny, and captured a great deal of the absurdity most of us have witnessed at one time or another. One after another, all of Audrey's co-workers and even her long-time best friend, become pregnant and gradually fall into the parenthood roles. How she deals with this is insightful and should allow those who are mothers to see the situation from a different perspective.

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