Book of the Month: Why “Cherry Baby” Is April’s Most Inspiring Must‑Read

Choosing the right book for April always feels like a small act of hope—like clearing off the porch furniture even though the mornings are still cold. You want something that wakes you up a little, shakes off the winter dust, and reminds you that you’re still capable of feeling big, messy things. This month’s pick, “Cherry Baby” by Rainbow Rowell, does exactly that. It’s tender, it’s bruised, it’s funny in the way heartbreak sometimes is, and it’s the kind of story that sticks to your ribs long after you close the cover.

Below, we break down why this is the book to read in April, what makes Cherry such a painfully relatable protagonist, and how Rowell turns a story about loss into something unexpectedly hopeful.

Cherry at Rock Bottom — and Not Ready to Pretend Otherwise

Rainbow Rowell’s newest novel, “Cherry Baby,” follows Cherry, a woman whose life has quietly collapsed while the world wasn’t looking. Her husband, Tom, is off in Hollywood making a movie based on his wildly popular webcomic, Thursday. The twist? The character based on Cherry—nicknamed “Baby”—is a caricature of her body, her softness, and her supposed flaws. As the HarperCollins description puts it, “No fat girl wants to see herself caricatured on the page—let alone on the big screen.”

That line hits like a punch. Cherry didn’t ask to be turned into a joke, and she certainly didn’t ask to be abandoned while her husband becomes the internet’s new favorite boyfriend. But here she is: stuck in Omaha, taking care of the dog he wanted, living in the house they were supposed to fill with kids, and trying to figure out who she is without him.

Rowell writes Cherry with a rawness that feels almost intrusive at times. She’s not polished. She’s not plucky. She’s not “making the best of it.” She’s grieving a life she thought she’d have—and she’s allowed to be messy about it.

A Chance Encounter That Feels Like a Lifeline

The story pivots when Cherry decides, for once, to leave the house and do something just for herself: see her favorite band play her favorite album. It’s a small act of rebellion, but it’s enough to crack her world open.

Across the room, someone recognizes her—not as “Baby,” not as Tom’s wife, not as the woman from the webcomic. But as Cherry.

Enter Russ Sutton, an old friend from her art school days. He remembers her as she was before everything got complicated: bold, stylish, full of spark. And, crucially, he has never heard of Thursday.

This is where the novel shifts from heartbreak to something warmer, something that feels like the first sunny day of April after a long winter. Russ doesn’t want anything from Cherry except the truth of who she is. He doesn’t see her as a punchline. He sees her as a person.

As one early reviewer put it, “Rowell writes desire the way other authors write weather—inescapable, atmospheric, and always rolling in whether you’re ready or not.”

Body, Art, and the Brutal Honesty of Being Seen

One of the most compelling threads in “Cherry Baby” is the way Rowell handles body image—not as a subplot, not as a gimmick, but as a lived reality. Cherry’s discomfort with being turned into “Baby” isn’t vanity; it’s violation. Her body becomes public property without her consent, and the world feels entitled to comment on it.

Rowell doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of that experience. But she also doesn’t let Cherry’s body be the thing that defines her. Instead, she centers Cherry’s interior life—her art, her humor, her grief, her desire, her stubbornness. The result is a protagonist who feels startlingly real.

Why This Is the Perfect Book for April

April is a transitional month—muddy, unpredictable, hopeful. And “Cherry Baby” is a transitional book. It’s about the moment when everything falls apart and the slow, shaky steps toward putting yourself back together.

It’s not a makeover story. It’s not a revenge story. It’s a reclamation story.

Cherry doesn’t magically fix her life. She doesn’t suddenly become confident or fearless. But she starts choosing herself in small, meaningful ways. And sometimes that’s enough.

Release Details & Where to Get It

• Release Date: March 4, 2025
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Where to Pick It Up: You can grab it directly from the publisher at HarperCollins, but it’s also widely available anywhere you normally pick up a new book: independent bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Amazon, Target, and your local library if you’re trying to keep your TBR pile from taking over your house.

Why It Earns the “Book of the Month” Spotlight

“Cherry Baby” is the kind of book that reminds you how vulnerable it is to be human—and how brave it is to keep going anyway. Rowell’s writing is sharp, tender, and unafraid of the emotional messiness that comes with heartbreak and reinvention.

For April, a month that’s all about thawing out and starting over, Cherry’s story feels exactly right. It’s honest. It’s hopeful. And it’s a reminder that even when life knocks you flat, you’re still allowed to want more.

This is the book you’ll be thinking about long after the month is over.