Red Sash

A woman needs love…
At 38, Aggie knows that she is a sexpot trapped in the body of an overweight frump. For all her dreams to be realised she must get serious about losing weight…and the dreams that she has began to have recently have stirred Aggie into action. At night she is the adored love of an attractive sex god, Joshua. He worships her body and quite capably turns her on. It is always a disappointment to wake up and return to her daily humdrum life.

Agatha Oliver missed out on dates and school dances. Her loving mother compensated for her rejection by filling Aggie with comfort food. After her mother died, the comfort habit was ingrained. Her closest friend, Nila, shares her weight problem and is always as close as a friendly phone call away. When Aggie talks about her dreams, Nila does not believe how real they are. The dreams are an impetus for Aggie to lose weight and she turns to a hypnotherapist to help her understand why they are happening. Dr. Frederick is drop dead gorgeous; it is uncanny how much he looks like Joshua from her dreams. She is not sure whether she will be comfortable revealing her intimate dreams with this man.

Ginger Simpson paints a painfully clear portrait of life for many single “big and beautiful” women. Their passions and desires are left unstirred for the lack of a compassionate soul. They are overlooked as the thinner, prettier girls find their husbands first. Aggie’s lusty dreams awaken a new part of her character and make her aware of her needs. The plot takes on a whole new twist when Aggie and Nila dress in period costume for a singles’ ball. Will the man of her dreams appear now she is down to a size 16, or will has she made all this effort to lose weight only to be let down again? Ginger Simpson’s touching and compassionate short story has left this reader desperate for another slice…

Reviewed by: Naomi