Why I Love Dumplin', by Julie Murphy - Humour, Old-School Texas Vibes and Body Positivity ❤
Last year I read Dumplin’, a book by author Julie Murphy which follows the story of Willowdean Dickinson, a self-proclaimed fat girl who surprises her small Texas town by entering a local beauty pageant.
Along this hilarious and heartwarming journey, Will faces love, navigating her complictated feelings for Bo, a charming coworker who unexpectedly returns her affection; grapples challenges as her friendship with Ellen is tested when she also enters the pageant and struggles with the messy relationship with her mother, a former beauty queen who now runs the pageant.
This is definitely one of my favourite novels, and I would recommend it to you too!
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What I Loved About Dumplin’
The Humour
Dumplin is written from Will’s perpective, making it fun, engaging and low-key hilarious!
Will’s narration is filled with Southern-style humour: her sass, charm and honesty feel effortlessly funny.
Throughout the novel, there are many hilarious interactions with Will’s mother. Her pageant obsession creates comedy, and Will’s first person perspective of it makes it even funnier.
Will is very straightfoward and brutally honest with herself. She talks about her insecurities and romantic predicaments in a way that is both funny and relatable.
The Old-School Texas Vibe 🤠
The old-school vibe that Dumplin’ exudes drew me in from the start, and it’s something that’s really unique and special to this book. I’ve always loved a small-town setting, where everyone knows each other and the community is tightly knit. The invigorating Dolly Parton songs bring soul and positive energy to the story that I adore!
I also love the idea of a local pageant - it’s traditional and classy, but also creates drama in the novel. Additionally, the Southern accent in both the book and the movie adds authenticity and warmth to the dialogues.
Dumplin’ gives off a classy, old-school vibe that a lot of today’s contemporary YA romances lack, and that’s one of the things that makes this book special.
The Body Positivity
The key message in Dumplin’ is that it doesn’t matter how you look; you can do anything.
Instead of rejecting or dismissing her weight, Willowdean embraces it as a part of who she is and doesn’t let it define her worth. She doesn’t perceive her weight as a flaw or something that she has to overcome; instead, she’s confident and accepts herself the way she is.
When Willowdean makes the iconic move to enter the local pageant, she inspires everyone around her. She doesn’t enter the pageant to prove something to others - she does it for herself, to prove that she belongs.
Throughout the novel, Willowdean challenges the unrealistic beauty standards. Everyone expects beautiful girls to be slim, delicate and flawless, but she proves that none of this matters, and that these expectations are too high to meet. She proves that all girls are beautiful in their own ways.
Throughout Willowdean’s journey of self-acceptance, she shows that self-love and confidence are the things that matter, and truly make someone beautiful. Dumplin’ is about embracing who you are, and not what you look like on the outside. ❤