07/16/2026
In Rainbow Rowell’s novel Cherry Baby, Cherry tries to navigate her newly single life in Omaha after her cartoonist husband, Tom, moves to Hollywood. Tom’s viral, semi-autobiographical webcomic has turned Cherry into a caricatured, public spectacle named “Baby,” while she tries to figure out who she is independently.The narrative follows Cherry, a plus-size railroad executive, as she rebuilds her life and faces unwanted visibility. When she decides to go to a concert one night, she crosses paths with Russ Sutton, a college crush who remembers her from before she met Tom—and who has never heard of the viral comic strip.Key aspects of the story include:The Conflict of Visibility: Cherry struggles with the fallout of being caricatured in her husband’s highly successful work and the invasion of her privacy.Second Chances: Cherry and Russ begin dating, which forces Cherry to question her own story and navigate the complexities of her past relationship with Tom.Themes of Self-Discovery: The book tackles body image, the grief of losing a relationship, and the messiness of forging an independent identity.
$32
