Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis writer Gretchen Anthony's latest, 'Tired Ladies Take a Stand,' is about four longtime friends
Gretchen Anthony’s new novel, “Tired Ladies Take a Stand,” is a warm affirmation of female friendship. The story is not entirely satisfying, but it’s laced with wisdom and humor and will almost certainly be snapped up by book clubs everywhere.
The plot follows four women in their late 40s or early 50s who have been friends for ages and who all arenow overextended in life.
Set in the Bay Area of California (sorry, Minnesotans — Anthony lives in Minneapolis but she set this one on the coast) the book is about betrayal, secrets and neuroses, but mostly it is about the importance of enduring friendship. These four women have been besties since their 20s, when their mantra was “say yes to everything.”
They had some wild and hilarious times back then, but now they are tired, have too much to do and are trying to figure out when it is OK to say no. The characters and the storyline are deliberately exaggerated, which helps emphasize the message. The women frequently leap to support each other with all-nighters, fueled by wine and chips and followed by ugly crying. There’s little subtlety or grit in this book, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
All four women have intense, larger-than-life personalities and their men (those who have men) are minor characters, mostly forgettable.
Andi is a human rights lawyer who jets around the world helping abused and exploited people, while her teenage son at home starts failing his classes.
Emma, a teacher, is recently divorced and is trying to plan her daughter’s wedding in the face of a multitude of obstacles — including her ex-husband’s pregnant girlfriend and an ex-fiance who is both stalking her and running for Congress.
Carolina is a big-shot executive and compulsive runner who is working 100-hour weeks, trying to keep her department going in the wake of layoffs.
And Fern might be closest to readers’ hearts — she’s a writer, and the memoir she published years ago, about the four friends in their 20s, has been rediscovered and is being optioned for a movie. The other three women are deeply opposed to having their bawdy former lives splashed across the silver screen; after Fern signs the contract, she has to figure out how to let them know that the project is going forward.
You can be forgiven if you get a little confused at the beginning — the book opens with an excerpt from Fern’s memoir of their twentysomething selves, but with no context to explain it. Memoir excerpts punctuate the narrative throughout the book, which is told from the point of view of all four women.
Two tsunami-like plotlines threaten to swamp everything. A few pages from the end, they’re still not resolved and you might start wondering how Anthony is going to tie up those loose ends. The answer might not satisfy you.
But maybe that doesn’t matter. “Tired Ladies Take a Stand” reminds us that as we move through life, despite marriages, children and careers, some of our most important relationships are with our friends.
Laurie Hertzel is a book critic in Minnesota. She’s at lauriehertzel@gmail.com.
Tired Ladies Take a Stand
By: Gretchen Anthony.
Publisher: Park Row Books, 336 pages, $18.99.
Event: Conversation with Kathleen West, 7 p.m. May 14, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Av., Mpls. Free; registration required.
A Minneapolis grocery store owner faces felony charges in what investigators say was a million-dollar food assistance fraud scheme.
Abdid-Wahid Mohamed is accused of using other people’s EBT cards to get more than a million dollars to buy items from wholesale stores that he later sold at his own store.
EBT cards work like debit cards for low-income families who receive government-paid benefits.
Investigators said Mohamed owned Minnesota Food Grocery LLC near West Lake Street in Minneapolis and was seen buying items such as energy drinks and baby formula with EBT cards that did not belong to him.
Investigators said Mohamed then loaded the goods into his vehicles and took them to Minnesota Food Grocery, where they were unloaded and placed on store shelves for resale.
The court filing says one woman identified as F.F. told investigators she had not paid for groceries at Minnesota Food Grocery for more than 1.5 years after agreeing to let Mohamed use her EBT card.
The charging document says that between March 8, 2021 and Aug. 10, 2021, Mohamed received $1,141,082 in EBT payments.
If convicted, Mohamed could face up to 20 years in prison.
Food insecurity in Minnesota: SNAP cuts and rising demand
Minnesota food shelves are facing growing pressure as potential federal SNAP cuts, rising grocery prices and increased demand strain already limited resources. Some providers also report impacts tied to recent immigration enforcement activity, with families hesitant to seek assistance. Wendy Behm of ACBC Food Shelf joins to discuss how organizations are responding, efforts to combat food insecurity across the state, and what’s at stake during the current legislative session. Learn more at acbcfoodshelf.com.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis grocery store owner is facing a felony charge after investigators say he trafficked more than $1.1 million in SNAP benefits using other people’s EBT cards.
SNAP benefits trafficking investigation leads to felony charge
What we know:
According to criminal charges filed in Hennepin County Court, Abdidwahid Mohamed, owner of Minnesota Food Grocery LLC, is accused of using EBT cards registered to other people to purchase items like energy drinks and baby formula at Sam’s Club and Costco between March 8, 2021 and August 10, 2021. The goods were then resold at his store.
The complaint states law enforcement says they watched Mohamed make the purchases and tracked him returning directly to his store with the items. Video surveillance and GPS data confirmed the trips, and investigators say many of the EBT cardholders were out of the country or denied shopping at the stores Mohamed visited.
The complaint states, “Mohamed received $1,141,082 in EBT payments” during the period in question. The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to help low-income households buy food, with benefits issued through EBT cards that work like debit cards.
Wal-Mart team sparks investigation
The backstory:
The investigation began when Wal-Mart’s Global Investigation Team flagged suspicious EBT transactions at Sam’s Club locations in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was contacted in May 2021, and surveillance of Mohamed followed.
The complaint states on Aug. 10, 2021, law enforcement executed search warrants at Mohamed’s store and vehicles. He was arrested at a Sam’s Club in Bloomington with an EBT card and a handwritten note containing a PIN number. Interviews with more than two dozen EBT cardholders revealed that many claimed their cards were lost or had never been used at the stores in question.
One woman admitted she had not shopped at Minnesota Food Grocery for more than a year-and-a-half after agreeing to let Mohamed use her EBT card.
The complaint states the offense “involved a high degree of sophistication or planning or occurred over a lengthy period of time.”
What’s next:
If convicted, Mohamed faces up to 20 years in prison or a $100,000 fine.
The Source: Information from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court.
Minneapolis, MN
Truck driver dead after crash sends Metro Transit bus into home in south Minneapolis
It happened early Monday morning in Minneapolis.
One person is dead and another is hospitalized after an early-morning crash in south Minneapolis on Monday that sent a Metro Transit bus into a home.
It happened at around 4 a.m. at 10th Avenue South and East 38th Street, just a few blocks east of George Floyd Square.
A spokesperson for Metro Transit police tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that a truck was speeding down 10th Avenue when it hit the back of the bus, ripping a tire off the bus and sending it into the front of a home.
The driver of that truck died, according to Metro Transit police, while the driver of the bus was taken to a hospital but is expected to be OK.
Officials say nobody besides the driver was on the bus at the time, and the home the bus hit was also empty at the time.
Investigators are still at the scene, working to clean up all of the debris and determine exactly what led up to the crash.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is at the scene and working to learn more. Download the KSTP app and follow 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on social media for the latest updates.
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