Liz Bitz: Love, Lust, Lies, Family Ties, and Other Ills Paperback – November 19, 2019

Liz Bitz is a character. No, I mean a card-carrying, bona fide, flesh-n’-blood-fictional-best character. You may peg her as a ditz, but don’t mess with Liz, especially when her friend Tibby has her back – which is always. This novel takes you into lives you don’t want to touch with a ten-foot-pole, and that you end up hugging. It’s obvious that Elizabeth Kelly Stephenson knows the nitty-gritty of scumbags and heroines. Wouldn’t it be nice if she gives us a sequel, because we end up caring about that little girl, that ol’ ex-con, and the blood-sisters, and what pickles they’ll plunge into and climbout of next.

The writing is very good. Lots of excellent descriptions that cover everything from smells, sounds, tastes, etc. that make you feel immersed in the different locations. I like how the story evolves, often with sharp, wry humor. Sometimes you want to scream at her, and other times, cheer her on. All of the characters are well-drawn, especially her best friend, Tibby.

My friend, Beth Stephenson, wrote Liz Bitz. You may stop reading right now, thinking, “Oh well, of course, she’s going to write a glowing review,” and you would be right; I am. But you should know that I have been reading and critiquing and editing Ms. Stephenson’s writing for years now and I have seen her solid, make me laugh or cry out loud, writing steadily march towards excellence.When Liz, “Sweet Cheeks,” Bitz drives along Hwy 41 towards Morro Bay with her tanned, lanky and lean new beau in his roofless Corvette (red, of course), I can feel the wind tangling my own hair and taste the salt that peppers my face. I recognize the dialogue of the eye-rolling teen in the back seat and the shock in my gut when the judge gives the deadbeat father of Liz’ sweet Rose another chance despite “clear and convincing evidence” that neither his story nor his bank balance will change in another six months. I want to shake Liz awake when she tells the policeman one more time that’s she’s “just fine,” through clinched teeth and a swollen jaw, mouth still tasting blood, just like the women I’ve seen who return to court to tell disbelieving judges that “he won’t do it again” and “he’s never done it before—it was just the alcohol.” (I’m a court interpreter.)While many will recognize the themes and even the words of Stephenson’s plot: “the happiest she could ever be” turning to searing pain between her legs in a matter of hours, the steady Eddie rebound beau shifting to a linebacker gut punch over a broken coffee cup, her story hosts a number of sub-plots as well that will sneak up on you and make you say, “Well I wasn’t expecting that,” but maybe you should have seen it coming. Liz struggles to maintain her balance through the minefield of broken relationships with her never-get-out-of-bed mother and her recently-released-from jail father, but mostly she loves on her only child Rose with the fierceness, aching joy, and despair that most parents will recognize with tears of their own.Do yourself a favor: imbibe in the vivid images enriched by fresh metaphors and accompanied by dialogue that tastes and sounds oh so familiar to your tongue and ears. But even more, plunge into the life of a woman terrorized and torn by abusive relationships, yet empowered by both her determination to survive and the love of her daughter.

I loved this book and read it in one sitting. It was very well-written. My favorite novels are ones where I can’t guess the ending and Liz Bitz didn’t fail! I would definitely recommend this read.