A darkly humorous tale of family, friendship, and personal discovery . . .
Frieda Kunkelheimer knew she wasn’t welcome in the world from her earliest stirrings. She also knew she was big and ugly, as proclaimed by her grandmother on the day of her birth. Though Frieda Kunkelheimer later blossoms into a beautiful and successful Hollywood film star, it had been determined, even before birth, that she was unwanted and unloved.
En route to a film shoot, the embittered, aging actress known as Frie, and Robin, her phobic, gay makeup artist, survive a plane crash in the jungles of Central America only to be held hostage by El Salvadoran guerrillas. Their self-absorbed lives take a backseat to the events of their capture as a bizarre set of circumstances unfold and kindle courage, compassion, and forgiveness they never thought possible.
‘Fat Girl Fairy Boy’ is written in masterful prose, and filled with rich characters, McConkie mixes irony, humor, and pathos while weaving multifaceted storylines into a wildly entertaining adventure. Few experienced novelists fare as well as McConkie in this debut literary event.
“I’m no professional literary critic but I know what I like and I truly enjoyed this contemporary fiction novel. Each night I looked forward to jumping into bed to read another chapter and follow the thrilling story about the two main characters, Robin and Frie. I’d love to see a movie version soon.” -Steve R.
“A very original book that I highly enjoyed…4 out of 5 stars.” – Erica H.
“I wish it was longer! I wanted to continue reading on and on. Nonetheless, Carol McConkie achieves so much, educating us on decades of US history, through the Great Depression, WWII, 60s counter-culture and Americo-Latin American political relations. In ‘Fat Girl Fairy Boy’ she has produced an absolute gem.” – Nathan S.
“An amazing portrayal of human fortitude and strength and how people can find salvation in purpose in the wake of difficulty. ‘Fat Girl, Fairy Boy’ isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you like strong storytelling, I say give it a shot.”
-Poindextrix Book Reviews