The Prairie Bridesmaid

by Daria Salamon

Manipulated into dumping an absent boyfriend by her meddling but well-intentioned friends, frustrated schoolteacher Anna Lasko starts smoking and befriends a backyard squirrel before entering therapy, an effort that is challenged by her sister's relocation to the Middle East and their half-blind grandmother's down-to-earth wisdom.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Chick Lit

264 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2008

About the author

Author of The Prairie Bridesmaid and launching Don't Try This At Home: One Family's (mis)Adventures Abroad in May, 2019

Reviews

[Holly Scudero · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not expecting to like this book at all. It seemed like total cliche chick lit, a feel-sorry-for-me main character stuck in a bad situation who would eventually rise above her tragic circumstances to become happy and successful. In reality, the book was funny, smart, and heart-wrenching all at once. The subject of emotional abuse is dealt with in depth, and anyone who has ever been in such a situation will surely recognize themselves in Anna’s guilty feelings and neurotic coping mechanisms. I actually thought the novel was too short; I would’ve liked to hear more about how things worked out with the grandmother (and what happened when Anna's dad found out about Baba's finger), how Natalia’s birth went and whether or not Anna convinced her to come back home, how Renate’s daughter was recovering, how Julia was being accepted into her newly-found birth family. I would’ve liked to hear more about the aftermath of Sara’s wedding, and if she continued to even speak to Anna at all. I also was somewhat disappointed with the ending; ideally for me, Anna would have become stronger and more confident without Adam, and the wedding scene would have happened differently. But I also understand and accept that this wouldn’t have been true to Anna’s character, and that things ultimately couldn’t work out any other way than they actually did.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. My only issue with is was Buddy the Squirrel- seemed a little strange. Everything else was great and I would definitely read this author again.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Prairie Bridesmaid was loaned to me and it was an enjoyable, Winnipeg based novel.

I found Anna quirky, funny, and relatable. Her friends also added a very comical spin. I loved how each character in their friend group went through and was on their own life path.

I wanted more from this book - it kind of just ended, which was disappointing. There wasn't a reasonable resolution to this story either.

Because of that, I give it a 3/5

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

How I Came To Read This Book: My friend Sarah got it as a gift and lent it to me.

The Plot: Anna is cresting 30 and feeling a little despondent. Her emotionally abusive boyfriend Adam is overseas, and she's trying to figure out how to break up with him. Her best friends are running interference in her life as their own lives transform in ways Anna can't even begin to grasp. Her chosen career path as a high school English teacher is unfulfilling. And her relationships with her family are strained - as her grandma creeps towards death, her parents are more concerned with keeping busy than accepting the truths about their children, and as her sister is trapped in a terrible situation with her husband in Iran (!), she reaches a breaking point. The book follows a few months prior to Anna's friend Sara's wedding and the evolution of each of these not-so-great fragments of her life.

The Good & The Bad: At first, this book was like a breath of fresh air. The breezy, bright writing and the just-enough-Winnipeg references immediately hooked me. However as the book went on, I felt it sputtered a bit, as Anna became more depressed and it became harder to cheer her on. Also, I felt like too much of the book took place in Anna's memories versus the present. While it's certainly fine to have a book like that (see: Emily Giffin's 'Love the One You're With', the present day plot needs to be building towards something and I felt like the return of Adam and Sara's wedding were sort of an anticlimactic peak for the book. That being said, the writing was enjoyable enough, as were the Winnipeg references, that this made this an overall quite enjoyable, if not spectacular read. What's remarkable is how many stories contained in this story I would have liked to learn more about, as I felt the book was a little too short - Anna's high school hijinks, her relationships with her friends, how things would turn out with Natalia, even her crazy Grandma...all of those were, in many ways, more interesting and appealing than the Adam / Anna story.

The Bottom Line: A bittersweet tale with plenty of Winnipeg charm to keep you interested (if you're from / have been here).

Anything Memorable?: Just the fact I read this book while visiting my new city, Halifax!

50-Book Challenge?: Book #39 in 2010.

[Jennifer Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a surprisingly good book! Salamon write from a very real perspective and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the read.

I liked that the characters had flaws, that no one was the "perfect I've got it together type"- it added even more to the story. It's heartbreaking to see the main character trapped in her bad relationship- but sadly so relatable to so many people I know. My praise for Salamon is that she stayed true to real people, real feelings and real situations. Yes, her characters do frustrating, self sabotaging things- but they come alive in their faults, not in their perfections.

My one complaint is the abrupt ending. I know that in real life nothing every ties itself up in finished little packages- and truthfully, if I admit to myself, the story needed an unfinished ending, to maintain it's "this is real" credibility. But I'm the kind of person who needs the closure, who needs the pretty bow tied up neatly at the end- but there is none of this here. You're left hoping that it all works out- just never knowing if it does or not.

Are you going to write book two in Iran Daria? (HINT HINT HINT HINT HINT)

Also? I love BABA. LOVE. HER. I have a Ukranian grandmother- there's very little exaggeration there. (Except that my grandmother loves the NDP, and doesn't blame them... haha)

[Beckynovacek · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the words used to describe this book was sardonic and I generally like sardonic humor- not so much this time. I think it was that I couldn't really relate to the characters and didn't even really like them. I did like the relationship she had with her grandma and that could raise it to 3 stars.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the Winnipeg and Ukrainian references. I thought the Buddy storyline was pointless. The book didn’t really flow well. I thought it ended too quickly and would have preferred to see what happened with Nat.

[Sandi Fiolka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the style of Daria's writing.
Fast paced, and witty.
The title versus the plot confuses me.
I felt the book was more about Anna's personal growth, not about a wedding!
Anyway it was an enjoyable read

PS -the squirrel thing was WEIRD

[Evelyn M · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read. I did like it although I wanted to know what happened between Anna and her sister. That wasn't resolved but enjoyable read still.

[Daniel Peri · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favourite authors. Daria never disappoints.

[Karen Schmitke]

Fun read for anyone, not just a prairie girl

[Capucinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could have been a 5 but that ending was just not it. But I loved the book ! ❤️

[Mrsgaskell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while in transit from Winnipeg to Boston. I really liked it! It made me laugh out loud more than once, on the plane and in the airport terminal - didn't dare look up to see what strange looks I might be getting. Anna Lasko is a thirty-year-old burnt-out (if she was ever "lit") high school teacher who has been in a relationship with Adam for 10 years. While he's away in Germany for several months her friends take the opportunity to stage an intervention. Sara (Bride-zilla!), Renate (married, mother of one, pregnant with second child), and Julia (single mother by choice, about to meet her birth mother) are caught up in their own lives and don't seem to have a clue about helping Anna get out of an unhealthy relationship - their research done in women's magazines and the internet. This is definitely chick-lit but it was funny and I enjoyed the local Winnipeg setting with its familiar places such as Osborne Village. I loved Anna's feisty Baba who just keeps going in spite of failing eyesight, raising and slaughtering chickens, making perogies and pysanky. In Winnipeg, even if you're not of Ukrainian descent, you certainly know someone who is. I also got a kick out of Anna's parents as well as her resident squirrel Buddy. Although Anna has a hard time getting out of a relationship that has become a habit, there is hope for her when she sets off to Iran to fetch her younger sister, Natalie, who has relationship issues of her own.

I bookcrossed this book in Harvard.

[Lydia Laceby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally Reviewed at Novel Escapes

I enjoyed this novel which made me laugh out loud several times! It also made me grimace due to the heavier subject matter and wanting the heroine, Anna, to figure it out and get on with dumping her controlling boyfriend. Unfortunately this is easier said than done as we see during her journey of self discovery.

There were times when I just wanted her to get on with it though and was frustrated with the character, but it was telling in the way Anna was reluctant to let go as is the case in many circumstances with controlling partners.

The relationship with her friends was interesting and at times I couldn’t see why they were friends and her parents and co-workers gave me a laugh. The relationship with her four legged friend was unusual and made the novel a little quirkier. Anna’s sister’s side story added another dimension to the story and made the it deeper.

Solomon’s characters are well developed, even the secondary ones and the plot moves along nicely. The ending left me wanting more though, as the story doesn’t all wrap up as neatly as much chick lit does.

Anyone having a hard time breaking up with someone or interested in relationship dynamics should find this book an interesting read.

[Lianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend gave this title to me on the way back from my recent high school reunion. It is Canadian/Ukrainian Chick Lit. Anna, the main character is in recovery from an abusive relationship while being once again included as a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding. I enjoyed this novel for its local setting in the Osborne Village area where I had my first apartment after moving away from home. There is a satiric treatment of the wedding planning and the "Bridezilla" friend obsessed with her peach colored theme and details. The most evocative is Anna's relationship with her rural grandmother who involves her in canning, preserving and other earthy pursuits thus giving her a perspective of what's real in her life.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good chicklit book. Anna is a 30-year-old who needs to escape from her own life and a controlling boyfriend. The book is funny and examines her life as she stands on a turning point. It's light, but still serious. I especially loved the fact that the author didn't try to hide the Canadian setting or Manitoban connections and theme. It was really nice to read a chicklit book set in Canada.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, but sad. A story of a woman in a bad relationship, bridesmaid in a bad wedding, with a bad job - and her realization that she has to get out of it all.

Laugh out loud funny at times. Set in Manitoba, but that fact didn't really come through in the description.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not your typical happy-go-lucky chick lit. Refreshing in that sense, but overall the story is a bit depressing. Especially if you've had first hand experience with emotional abuse. Which I guess makes it an even more worthwhile read. Finished it in a weekend.

[Amie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't bother!

The only reason it gets two stars, is because, as much as I was confused by Buddy the Squirrel, at least he provided some funny moments.

The only good thing I can say about this book is one less book on my shelf.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always an amusing read, I love rereading this book and remembering my time in the wonderful city of Winnipeg. The story has a nice flow, is an easy free time read, certainly not an academic book but just one for a nice beach vacation or a cold spring day with a cup of tea.

[Kendra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not stand the characters in this book therefore, I couldn't stand the book.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

lots of good moments, interesting portrayal of a relationship that is bad, but not physically abusive, could have done without Buddy, though

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read. This was a fun ride the entire way through. Nothing too exotic or meaningful, just a plain fun read. For this category of book, it deserved the 4 stars.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It made me laugh!

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was fun and I'm sorry it took me a year to read it after a friend lent it to me.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

She somehow managed to portray my Ukrainian grandmother, blindness and all, nearly to a T, which I loved. Yet I the the way this book ends.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super depressing but realistic read. What can I say? I like these types of books.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My very first chick-lit book and it took place in Winnipeg! It can't get any better than this.