[Bookwoman] Weetzie Bat Turns 40

[Lee Anne Phillips]

Francesca Lia Block published a new novel
in her ground-breaking Weetzie Bat series
last year, and it's now out in paperback.

Necklace of Kisses, Harper Collins, New York, 
2006. 

Weetzie at 40 is still wearing pink sunglasses
and a Hello Kitty watch when she wakes up,
figuratively at least, and discovers in spare
and uncompromising prose that the kisses
and love she'd shared with Max, her secret
agent lover man had vanished like dew in
the sunshine, although the sex was as good 
as ever. Weetzie is decisive, as ever, and packs
a tiny bag with the appropriate ace outfits
and walks out the door, embarking on a
magical journey into her past and future 
both, as surreal and visionary as always.

Kisses, she discovers, are treasures in 
themselves, and valuable in their own
right, but maybe not enough. 

This is a wonderful book, especially for
those, like Weetzie, on the other side
of 40 and starting to wonder what they've
done in their lives, besides having worn 
some perfectly fabulous clothes, of course.

Cheers,

Lee Anne