In "hypocrite in a pouffy white dress", Susan Gilman expounds on her experiences from her bohemian childhood, her flat-chested, then buxom teenage years, her idealistic young adulthood, and finally her adulthood- marriage, and living abroad.
She does this with a sense of humor, an ability to laugh at herself, and those around her. Her life is a series of juxtapositions; her family is Jewish, yet they celebrate Christmas. She is heterosexual, yet is mistaken for a lesbian. She wants to walk down the aisle making a statement in black, yet ends up clothed in a frothy concoction of a wedding dress, equipped with a tiara.
Along the way, she recounts tales of growing up without color barriers, protesting social issues, liberating a Jewish newspaper, and surviving childhood teasing, large breasts, and the use of high school French to live in Geneva, Switzerland.
Her stories touch upon the angst of growing up. They allow the reader a glimpse into Gilman’s thoughts and feelings, and sometimes pain. She discusses her extraordinary, ordinary life in terms in which everyone can relate. This book is a hilarious adventure and a joy to read.