The Glow
A Novel
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4.0 • 4 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A desperate young publicist tries to save her career by turning the charismatic leader of a grungy retreat center into the hot new self-care brand in this “wryly funny [and] fabulous debut novel” (The New York Times Book Review).
“A satire both cutting and careful in its approach, The Glow is a triumph.”—Elle
A GLAMOUR AND LIT HUB BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Jane Dorner has two modes: PR Jane, twenty-five, chummy, and eager to sell you a feminist vibrator or a self-care/bereavement subscription box; and Actual Jane, twenty-nine, drifting through mediocre workdays and lackluster dates while paralyzed by her crushing mountain of overdue medical bills. When her job performance is called into question, Jane’s last-ditch effort to preserve her livelihood and pay off her debt is to land a white whale of a client.
Enter the impossibly gorgeous Cass—whom Jane discovers scrolling through Instagram—and her unassuming husband, Tom, proprietors of a “wellness retreat” based out of a ramshackle country house that may or may not be giving off cult vibes. Suddenly Jane realizes she might have found the one ladder she can climb—if she can convince them that transforming Cass herself into a high-end wellness brand is the key to all three of their futures. Magnetic yet mysterious, Cass is primed to be an influencer: She speaks in a mix of inspirational quotes and Zen koans, eats only zucchini (the most spiritually nourishing vegetable), and has baby-perfect skin. Despite Tom’s reticence about selling out, Jane sets out to mold Cass into the kind of guru who can offer inner peace and make your skin glow—all at a hefty price, of course. As Jane reckons with her own long-dormant ambitions, she wonders: Can a person really “do good” for others while profiting off them? And what parts of our selves do we lose when we trade power, influence, and beauty?
Sparklingly plotted, deliciously deadpan, and irresistibly entertaining, The Glow is a razor-sharp sendup of an industry built on the peculiar intersection of money and wellness, where health is a commodity and self-care a luxury.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gaynor, a senior editor at LitHub, debuts with a witty send-up of wellness culture and the perils of transforming people into brands. Jane, a 29-year-old PR manager, is losing her enthusiasm for pitching ridiculous products. She's also recently been dumped, and a six-figure medical bill from a bout of appendicitis adds to her existential spiral. Desperate for something to sell, she stumbles on an Instagram account for a weekend retreat called FortPath, led by an enigmatic and gorgeous woman named Cass. Held at a dilapidated farmhouse in New Jersey, FortPath is about what one would expect: the kind of place where people "spoke frankly about their bowels" and engage in (literally) masturbatory meditation sessions. But Cass is a magnetic presence, and everyone there buys what she sells—including her husband, Tom. Jane is a bit more skeptical, but, having been let go from her day job, she sees Cass as "a golden goose" and sets out to turn her into a star. Though the narrative idles a bit too much in exposition and backstory mode, there's an amusing story in here about the pitfalls of idol worship. With pithy and poignant observations about the costs of treating people like products, Gaynor makes this shine.
