The Bunko Babes: A book review

The Bunko Babes by Leah Starr Baker is the story of Becca Thornton and her eclectic bunch of friends known as the “bunko babes.” When Mary at Blog Stop Book Tours asked me to review the book, I saw the word “bunko” and immediately said yes. You see I play bunco (I spell it with a “c” and not a “k” – both are correct) with a eclectic bunch of women, too – everyone from teachers and stay at home moms to 911 dispatchers and women who compete in rodeos.

I couldn’t wait to read The Bunko Babes thinking it would be something like The Fiction Class, Sandra Dallas’s The Persian Pickle Club, or Karen Joy Fowler’s The Jane Austen Book Club. You know, books where a bunch of people (mostly women) come together for a central activity – a writing class, quilting or a book club – and whose lives are full of challenges, romance, revelations, suffering, and joy.

Instead, it’s mostly about Becca and not much about bunco or the babes. Instead, The Bunko Babes as much about Becca’s friends as it is about her relationship with God and her family. She’s a typical mom/wife with all the associated worries, fun, and tribulations. However, she has a funny relationship with her mom (don’t we all?) that doesn’t quite ring true. You see, Becca’s peeved about her mother’s impending remarriage to a minister. She’s a religious woman, so I couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t happy that her mom was was marrying a minister. Geez, that’s almost as good as marrying the Big Man himself! It seemed petty, and too much of a flaw in a character I wanted to like.

It was also one of the things that made it obvious that Leah Starr Baker is a first time author. The Bunko Babes tends to be a bit choppy, jumping from place to place and to different times with an occasional awkward and confusing transition. Also, some of Leah’s characters are two-dimensional due to the lack of time spent on them in the book, while the Becca character is overly rich and too full of contradictions to be totally believable.

Also, there’s just too much stuff going on in The Bunko Babes. For example, there’s the morality tale back story, which didn’t sit well with me. Becca’s best friend Jessica is supposedly infertile due to an abortion she had at 16. Leah redeems Jessica’s character by having her admit to Becca that she was sexually abused by her stepdad. Once she comes clean, Jessica miraculously becomes pregnant and the two women repair their friendship. Another anti-choice cliche or a lesson in sin and forgiveness? You decide.

Still there are some real jewels in The Bunko Babes. I got a real belly laugh out of Becca’s friend, Madison selling off her cheating husband’s wardrobe and sports equipment for pennies on the dollar. I was taking notes on that idea. Brilliant! I love the deep and true relationship Becca has with her husband and children.

Best of all is Becca’s journey through the discovery and treatment of her illness. It’s amazing, heart wrenching, and very inspirational. And this is where I need to tell Leah to stop writing fiction and to start writing her autobiography.

You see, Leah Starr Baker has had an amazing life. Her father was a minister and author, and she must have learned her love her writing and God from him. Leah was crowned Mrs. Oklahoma 1995 and had a recording career for awhile in Nashville, before she turned that in for politics.

Soon after entering that world, she gave birth to two children in less than 18 months, and decided to stay home with them for awhile. When her daughter, Alexandria was four and her son, Deuce (cute name!) two, she started a real estate career. Then Leah discovered she had Systemic Lupus, and had to stop working. That’s when she started to write.

Instead of hearing Becca’s story – and you have to wonder how much of Leah is in Becca – I want to hear Leah’s story. I want to read about growing up with such an inspirational father. I want to know about her life in Colorado and Oklahoma, and the glamour of her showbiz and political life. How was it like to balance being a wife, mother and career women? I especially want to know all about her struggles with Lupus and how if effected her faith.

I hope she shares that story (or stories) with us some day, so whether you pick up The Bunko Babes or not, stay tuned. I’m sure that Leah Starr Baker has more to share. Can’t wait!

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