Krista Montgomery Knapp (pen name K.L Montgomery), is a Georgetown woman who has taken the book world by storm. What is even better about her latest novel, Fat Girl, is that it takes place in the Lewes and Rehoboth Beach area.
Krista is originally from Greencastle, Indiana which is where her first novel, Green Castles, takes place. Green Castles is a novel about three high school best friends reunited in their
hometown in the wake of tragedy.
Krista moved to Salisbury, Md. in 2007 and was a research librarian at Salisbury University from 2007-2013. She published Green Castles around the time she left the university, got divorced and moved to Georgetown, Del. Krista currently works as a Project Coordinator for the Encore Program, which is a lifelong learning program for adults over 50, at Delaware Tech in Georgetown.
Her latest novel, Fat Girl, is about a journalist and blogger, Claire Sterling, who Krista says is “basically going through a mid-life crisis.” Krista says Claire and her son are forced to move back in with her parents in Lewes when she separates from her husband after discovering he’s having an affair. Not much is going right in Claire’s life except that she landed a syndicated column called The Reinvention, about her reinventing a new life for herself as she turns 40, gets divorced and begins to date again.
Krista Montgomery Knapp (Courtesy: K.L. Montgomery)
“The book is very funny but it has some poignant and emotional moments as well,” Krista said. “Many of the reviewers have stated that the story elicited both laughter and tears, and of course, the overwhelming sentiment is that Claire Sterling is someone with whom readers readily identify.”
Krista notes the book takes place during the year leading up to Claire’s 40th birthday and “follows the ups and downs of her yo-yo dieting, her divorce, her foray into online dating, her experiences with a therapist and body image coach and an attempt to repair her relationship with her mother, who has fat-shamed Claire since she was young.”
The message of the book is a common theme that a lot of young women struggle with: body positivity and acceptance. Krista says anyone who has ever struggled with their weight or an eating disorder will be able to relate to Claire.
According to Krista, Claire’s struggles are very near and dear to her because she has also struggled with weight, eating disorders and fat shaming.
“As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned that nearly every woman I know has faced the same challenges that I have to one degree or another,” Krista said.
You can read all of the reviews for this novel here.
(Courtesy: K.L. Montgomery)
