The Power of Storytelling: How "Heartburn" Made Me Laugh, Cry, and Call My Mom

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

Published: January 1, 1983

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

Audience: 16+

Synopsis: Heartburn is a semi-autobiographical novel by Nora Ephron that follows Rachel Samstat, a food writer who is seven months pregnant with her second child when she discovers that her husband is having an affair. With wit, humor, and plenty of recipes scattered throughout, Rachel navigates the emotional turmoil of betrayal, divorce, and self-discovery. Ephron blends heartbreak and humor in a witty narrative that explores love, infidelity, and the complicated nature of relationships.

I love how books can bring people together, start conversations that would never have happened otherwise, and inspire us to tears, laughter, incredulity, and more. Heartburn is a rollercoaster of events and emotions. It’s heartbreaking, hilarious, and thought-provoking.

The audiobook is narrated by Meryl Streep - yes, the Meryl Streep. I truly believe if anyone else read this book to me, or if I read it physically, I would have put it down before the sixth chapter (hence, the four-star rating instead of a five-star).

I found that the way this book is written mirrors how women often think (I guess I don’t really know how men think since I am a woman, and I can’t generalize all women, but it seems right, y’know?). Often in the novel, Rachel recounts a memory and then gets drawn into another story that holds significance for the primary narrative. This secondary story can take several pages to unfold before she returns to the main one. When this happens, I find myself laughing and feeling almost vindicated because it reflects how I tell stories. Often, people start to lose focus on what I’m trying to convey.

Meryl Streep (MVP) vividly portrays Rachel’s character, enhancing the plot and the recipes that unfold their own narrative.

In the beginning of the novel, Rachel is seven months pregnant with her and her husband’s second child when she discovers that he has been having an affair with someone she knows.

Meryl Streep’s voice, cadence, and inflections reminded me of my mother, which made me wonder, “Has my mom ever been cheated on?” I then called her, and our conversation turned into a 30-minute discussion about high school love, emotional maturity, and how we differ in the way we interact with people, and overall just about life and consequences and love.

I laughed out loud, cringed, and frowned a lot in this book, and really appreciated the writing style that Nora Ephron brings.

Heartburn by Nora Ephron Book Cover