First there was Good In Bed. Then there was In her Shoes. And we can’t forget The Guy Not Taken. And now there’s Fly Away Home. Jennifer Weiner (one of my biggest Chick Lit heroes evuh!) has been called “fantastically witty”… “Irresistible”… and “thoroughly entertaining." I’ll call her a “brilliant storyteller.”
I remember when I first discovered Jennifer Weiner. I’d been given a copy of the New York Times bestseller Good In Bed by my BFF, Liz, and devoured it in a way I’d never, well, devoured a book before. I was engrossed, engaged, and entertained by the story of twenty-eight-year-old Candace, Cannie, Shapiro. Overweight and recovering from a breakup, Cannie is still able to see the humor in life. That is, until her ex-boyfriend starts writing a column called “Good In Bed” (about dating overweight women) based on, you guessed it, Cannie. I loved the story, the characters, and especially the writing. I announced that I’d found my new favorite Chick Lit author, and for the past eight years, this bestselling author has continued to one-up herself as she writes novel after novel after novel.
And now, with Fly Away Home, she’s tackled an issue we’ve all seen on the front page of the papers. A powerful senator has an extramarital affair and as a result, his wife since law school and his two grown daughters are thrust into the media spotlight and forced to examine their own lives as a result. Told from the alternating points of view of Sylvie Woodruff, 57, the senator’s wife who lives for the senator; Lizzie, 24, the Woodruff’s younger daughter, a recovering addict; and Diana, her older sister, an ER doctor who seems to have it all, but during her father’s scandal, must look at some of her own questionable choices regarding her marriage. These women, never especially close before, are brought together and, for the first time, learn how to lean on one another. It’s emotional, funny and a story that will hold you from beginning until end. And, in my opinion, it’s one of her best yet.
Last year, Jennifer stopped by Chick Lit Is Not Dead and shared 25 things we didn’t know about her. And just like in her writing, she was funny and witty and relatable!
And tomorrow, July 8th, she’ll be participating in a live chat on Barnes and Noble’s Facebook page! This is your chance to ask her ANYTHING! So for all of you fans out there, I suggest you get there at 3:00 p.m., EST sharp, and be ready to get your burning questions answered! I know I’ll be there!
But your FIRST order of business should be to pre-order Fly Away Home (and save money while you do it!) here.
And In case you weren’t as lucky as I was to get an advance copy of Fly Away Home (sorry!), here’s how you can familiarize yourself with the story. To watch Jennifer talking about the book, click here. And for a sneak peek at the first chapter of Fly Away Home, click here.
Hope to see you all tomorrow, June 8th at 3:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time! Don’t be late!
Lisa Steinke, along with her best friend Liz Fenton, co-authored the chick lit novel I’ll Have Who She’s Having and co-created the popular Chick Lit blog, Chick Lit is Not Dead.
