Just desserts

In Sarai Walker's debut novel, Dietland (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26). Plum Kettle has only one plan: To become an “after” picture, to which end she buys clothing in sizes far too small and saves up for her weight-loss surgery. But when a female stalker introduces her to the fat acceptance movement, Plum starts to worry less about what others think. That would be enough, but then comes a radical movement called Jennifer, out to enact vigilante justice on the street harassers, body-shamers and rape culture-enablers of the world. For every misogynist who's ever posited a feminist conspiracy, here's what it would look like—hilarious, righteous and full of very, very just desserts. Dietland not only puts lie to the old trope that feminists have no sense of humor; it puts lie to just about all the delusions of the patriarchy.