There's a Word for That
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- $229.00
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- $229.00
Descripción editorial
An Elin Hilderbrand Book Club Selection
An "engrossing, hilarious, and tender" chronicle of a wildly flawed family that comes together—in rehab, of all places—even as each member is on the verge of falling apart (Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project). Winner of the 2019 NCIBA Golden Poppy Book Award for Fiction
Introducing the Kesslers: Marty, a retired LA film producer whose self-worth has been eroded by age and a late-in-life passion for opioids; his daughter Janine, former child star suffering the aftereffects of a life in the public eye; and granddaughter Hailey, the "less-than" twin sister, whose inferiority complex takes a most unexpected turn.
Nearly six thousand miles away, in London, celebrated author Bunny Small, Marty's long-forgotten first wife, has her own problems: a "preposterous" case of writer's block, a monstrous drinking habit, and a son who has fled halfway around the world to escape her.
When Marty's pill-popping gets out of hand and Bunny's boozing reaches crisis proportions, a perfect storm of dysfunction brings them all together at Directions, Malibu's most exclusive and absurd rehab center.
But for all their failings, the members of this estranged -- and strange -- family love each other. Rich with warmth, humor, and deep insight, There's a Word for That is a comic ode to surviving the people closest to us, navigating the perils of success, and taking one last look in the rearview mirror before mapping out the road ahead.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This canny dark comedy of errors from Tanen (Bitter with Baggage Seeks Same) invites readers to indulge in the idiosyncrasies and misadventures of the dysfunctional Kessler clan. Aging celebrity author Bunny Small and her hedonistic, synthetic opioid addicted ex-husband Marty Kessler, a famous film producer, and their progeny bicker, battle, and express love in their own unique ways as they all convene for the first time in more than a decade. For each of the children and grandchildren, familial and societal obligations bubble up as unresolved traumas in startling ways: 17-year-old Hailey, Marty's granddaughter through an earlier marriage, suffered through a neglected adolescence; Janine, Marty's grown daughter, resents the fame that came with being the daughter of Hollywood royalty; and Henry Holter, Bunny's 20-something son through another marriage, is emotionally exhausted from being named after one of his mother's well-known characters. While very little happens, much resolution is found between the characters. Tanen's memorable wry humor ("I'm not inert, I just know my limitations") and sharp dialogue will leave readers fully invested the rebuilding of relationships despite years of distance, trauma, and pain. Tanen's refreshing tale of a nontraditional family legacy will appeal to fans of tightly plotted dramas in the vein of Maggie Shipstead's work.
