Heartburn

Synopsis

A BESTSELLING NOVEL AND MAJOR FILM STARRING MERYL STREEP AND JACK NICHOLSON

'I have bought more copies of this book to give to people, in a frenzy of enthusiasm, than any other . . . Heartburn is the perfect, bittersweet, sobbingly funny, all-too-true confessional novel' NIGELLA LAWSON

'A perfect example of Ephron's gift for turning tragedy into comedy' PAULA HAWKINS, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

'She is wit without cynicism, the ultimate romantic' GAIL COLLINS, NEW YORK TIMES

Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel discovers that her husband is in love with another woman. The fact that this woman has a 'neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb' is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel is a cookery writer, and between trying to win Mark back and wishing him dead, she offers us some of her favourite recipes. Heartburn is a roller coaster of love, betrayal, loss and most satisfyingly revenge.

This is Nora Ephron's (screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle) roman à clef: 'I always thought during the pain of the marriage that one day it would make a funny book,' she once said - And it is!

Books included in the VMC fortieth anniversary series include: Frost in May by Antonia White; The Collected Stories of Grace Paley; Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault; The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter; The Weather in the Streets by Rosamond Lehmann; Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith; The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West; Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston; Heartburn by Nora Ephron; The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy; Memento Mori by Muriel Spark; A View of the Harbour by Elizabeth Taylor; and Faces in the Water by Janet Frame

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Summary

Chapter 1

Rachel Samstat, a New York Times food writer, discovers she is pregnant with her fourth child. She is married to Martin Deckter, a successful restaurant critic and womanizer. The news of the pregnancy shocks Rachel, as she is already struggling with the responsibilities of three young children and a husband who is emotionally unavailable.

Chapter 2

Rachel's nausea and vomiting become so severe that she is unable to work or function normally. She tries various remedies, including acupuncture and hypnotherapy, but nothing seems to help. Martin is dismissive of her symptoms, and she feels increasingly isolated and alone.

Chapter 3

Rachel's mother comes to visit, but she is judgmental and unhelpful. Rachel's sister, Ann, is more supportive, but she is also pregnant and has her own problems to deal with. Rachel realizes that she has no one to turn to for support.

Chapter 4

Rachel's pregnancy progresses, and her symptoms worsen. She develops hemorrhoids and varicose veins, and she has difficulty sleeping. She also becomes increasingly anxious and irritable. Martin continues to neglect her, and she feels like she is losing her mind.

Chapter 5

Rachel's water breaks while she is at a party. She is rushed to the hospital, where she gives birth to a daughter. The baby is healthy, but Rachel is exhausted and overwhelmed. Martin is barely present, and Rachel feels like she is doing everything on her own.

Chapter 6

Rachel and the baby return home, but Rachel's struggles continue. She is still suffering from postpartum depression, and she is struggling to bond with her new daughter. Martin is still absent, and Rachel is feeling more and more isolated and alone.

Example:

In Chapter 2, Rachel describes the severity of her nausea and vomiting:

> "I threw up in the kitchen sink, in the bathroom, in the car. I threw up on the sidewalk, in a taxi, and once, memorably, on Martin's shoes. I lost so much weight that I began to look like a concentration camp survivor."