Synopses & Reviews
When youre in trouble and sinking fast, whom do you call?
Piper Nelson is stuck. She cant quite stay away from the husband she divorced. She isnt always attentive to the high school students she teaches. And even she admits that shes been drinking too much and seeking out unsuitable men. Pipers mother, married to a celebrity evangelist, and her sister, who's immersed in plans to wed a professional football player and star in a reality TV show, are both too self-absorbed to sympathize with Pipers angst. They tell her to get a grip. But how can Piper ever really recover from the blow she suffered five years ago, when a car accident took the life of her young daughter?
When Pipers ex-husband announces that his new girlfriend is pregnant, Piper is forced to take stock. Realizing that its time for a change is one thing, but actually making it happen is quite another. And despite what she thinks, Piper cant do it alone Lucky for her, a couple of crazy, funny new friends are ready to step in when she needs them most and show her how to live and laugh again.
CONVERSATION GUIDE INCLUDED
Review
Praise for
Deep Down True:
"Sincere, powerful and heartfelt, Deep Down True will resonate with women everywhere . . . I loved Fay’s true-to-life characters and her ability to portray the intricate dynamics of friendship and family in such an immediately recognizable way." -Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Love the One You’re With and Heart of the Matter
"I love Deep Down True for its intensely human characters and for the way the author grants them their flaws as generously as she celebrates their daily decencies, their persistent hopefulness, their moments of personal grace." -Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Love Walked In and Belong to Me
“Enormously readable and hugely relatable!” -Kelly Corrigan, New York Times bestselling author of The Middle Place and Lift
"Engrossing, touching, and immensely satisfying. The truth shines on every page. I’d almost be willing to go back to junior high if I could sit at Juliette Fay’s lunch table!" -Beth Harbison, New York Times bestselling author of Thin Rich Pretty
"Fay deals honestly with Dana’s emotional journey . . . and gives readers a believable cast, from the daughter struggling with the wolf-pack mentality of middle school to Dana’s sometimes obnoxious yet fiercely loving sister. It expertly walks a heavily trodden path." -Publishers Weekly
"Fay imbues Dana with the smarts and insecurities that war within most of us. Highly recommended for fans of women’s fiction featuring resilient heroines.” -Library Journal
"Heartwarming, funny, well-penned . . . a solid page-turner, right through to the touching end." -Booklist
"Tackles a host of serious issues in a remarkably thoughtful fashion . . . What’s more, it’s just a genuinely good story." -Bookreporter
Review
"Sincere, powerful and heartfelt,
Deep Down True will resonate with women everywhere . . . I loved Fay's true-to-life characters and her ability to portray the intricate dynamics of friendship and family in such an immediately recognizable way. There is a 'me too' moment on every page, right down to the satisfying finish."
—Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Where We Belong
Review
"When I wasn't inside the world of this book-because this is a book that you enter instead of merely read-I longed to be. I love it for its intensely human characters and for the way the author grants them their flaws as generously as she celebrates their daily decencies, their persistent hopefulness, their moments of personal grace."
—Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Falling Together and Love Walked In
Review
"Enormously readable and hugely relatable!"
—Kelly Corrigan, New York Times bestselling author of The Middle Place
Review
"Engrossing, touching, and immensely satisfying. The truth shines on every page. I'd almost be willing to go back to junior high if I could sit at Juliette Fay's lunch table!"
—Beth Harbison, New York Times bestselling author of When in Doubt, Add Butter and Thin, Rich, Pretty
Review
"Fay deals honestly with Dana's emotional journey as she strives 'to understand how what had been true before had changed into what was true now' and gives readers a believable cast, from the daughter struggling with the wolf-pack mentality of middle school to Dana's sometimes obnoxious yet fiercely loving sister. It expertly walks a heavily trodden path."
—Publishers Weekly
Review
"Fay imbues Dana with the smarts and insecurities that war within most of us. With her comfort zone obliterated, Dana draws on her inner strengths to reconstruct a new foundation for her children in a world where she gets to be the alpha wolf. Highly recommended for fans of women's fiction featuring resilient heroines."
—Library Journal
Review
"Heartwarming, funny, well-penned . . . a solid page-turner, right through to the touching end."
—Booklist
Review
Praise for
Shelter Me:
“Fay keeps the reader engaged with a vivid descriptive palette evoking the little details of life in a small town. She also does a beautiful job capturing the ebb and flow of single motherhood, from small miracles and little annoyances to the big ordeals.” —The Boston Globe
“A wise and inspirational debut. Readers will be charmed.” —Publishers Weekly
“What a gorgeous paradox of a book: a deep, thoughtful exploration of a young mother’s first year of widowhood that is as much a page-turner as any thriller. The translucent beauty of the writing and the sheer humanity of the characters pulled me along.” —Marisa de Los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Love Walked In and Belong to Me
“This debut novel features family, friends, and grief in a touchingly warm and funny way. I cried and laughed with Janie LaMarche as she figures out how to go on living without her beloved husband. Fay’s characters run the gamut and could live next door to any of us.” —Judy Manzo, Book Ends, Winchester, MA
“Juliette Fay can hit the high notes of emotion with unexpected moments of redemption and wry humor.” —Jacqueline Sheehan, author of Lost & Found
“A richly told story. Fay writes with vivid dialogue and conjures up characters that feel real enough to be sitting in your kitchen.” —Lee Woodruff, New York Times bestselling author of In An Instant
Review
Praise for The Shortest Way Home: “Fay is one of the best authors of women’s fiction, and her novels are not to be missed. A moving, introspective look at what it means to be family, and to be truly home.”—Library Journal, starred review
“Fans of Fay’s first novel, Shelter Me (2009), will spot a familiar face in Sean’s hometown, and readers old and new will fall in love with the flawed, endearing cast of characters. A beautifully written novel infused with Fay’s generous spirit.”—Booklist
“The Shortest Way Home is as complex and full of surprises as the well-examined life. This is one beautiful novel, rich with depth and heart.”
—Julianna Baggott, bestselling author of Pure
“The Shortest Way Home is Juliette Fay’s best yet and shows us that loving the people in your life can be as exciting, as daring, as difficult an adventure as any.”
—Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Falling Together and Love Walked In
“The Shortest Way Home is full of heart and of understanding about the often awkward
collection we call ‘family.’”
—Meg Waite Clayton, bestselling author of The Wednesday Sisters
“If you’ve ever thought you or anyone in your family might be just a bit less than perfect, read this book.”
—Nancy Thayer, author of Summer Breeze
“With trademark wit and grace, Juliette Fay portrays a man forced to rescue his family as he reaches for his own freedom. She keeps you turning the pages, even as you want to stop and admire her writing.”
—Randy Susan Meyers, author of The Murderer’s Daughters
“Insightful, funny, and tender-hearted…full of truths about family, falling in love, and finding out who we are meant to be.”
—Amy Hatvany, author of Best Kept Secret and Outside the Lines
“A touching and engrossing story about the lengths to which we’ll go to avoid where we’re meant to be, and the way the heart leads us gently back.”
—Nichole Bernier, author of The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.
“A smart, sincere look at the meaning of home, the complicated nature of family ties, and how the things we run from are often what we need the most."
—Allie Larkin, author of Why Can’t I Be You
“Heartfelt... Juliette Fay does a wonderful job creating this quirky, lovable cast of characters finding their way in life and love.”—Shilpi Somaya Gowda, New York Times bestselling author of Secret Daughter
"Powerful, beautifully written, and at times heartbreaking… a meditation on the impossibility and the inevitability of finding our way home.”
—Julie Buxbaum, author of After You
Review
Praise for Deep Down True:
"Sincere, powerful and heartfelt, Deep Down True will resonate with women everywhere . . . I loved Fay’s true-to-life characters and her ability to portray the intricate dynamics of friendship and family in such an immediately recognizable way."
—Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Heart of the Matter and Where We Belong
"I love Deep Down True for its intensely human characters and for the way the author grants them their flaws as generously as she celebrates their daily decencies, their persistent hopefulness, their moments of personal grace."
—Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Falling Together and Love Walked In
“Enormously readable and hugely relatable!”
—Kelly Corrigan, New York Times bestselling author of The Middle Place and Lift
"Engrossing, touching, and immensely satisfying. The truth shines on every page. I’d almost be willing to go back to junior high if I could sit at Juliette Fay’s lunch table!"
—Beth Harbison, New York Times bestselling author of Thin, Rich, Pretty and When in Doubt, Add Butter
"Fay deals honestly with Dana’s emotional journey . . . and gives readers a believable cast, from the daughter struggling with the wolf-pack mentality of middle school to Dana’s sometimes obnoxious yet fiercely loving sister. It expertly walks a heavily trodden path."
—Publishers Weekly
"Fay imbues Dana with the smarts and insecurities that war within most of us. Highly recommended for fans of women’s fiction featuring resilient heroines.”
—Library Journal
"Heartwarming, funny, well-penned . . . a solid page-turner, right through to the touching end."
—Booklist
"Tackles a host of serious issues in a remarkably thoughtful fashion . . . What’s more, it’s just a genuinely good story."
—Bookreporter
Review
Praise for Shelter Me:
“Fay keeps the reader engaged with a vivid descriptive palette evoking the little details of life in a small town. She also does a beautiful job capturing the ebb and flow of single motherhood, from small miracles and little annoyances to the big ordeals.”
—The Boston Globe
“A wise and inspirational debut. Readers will be charmed.”
—Publishers Weekly
“What a gorgeous paradox of a book: a deep, thoughtful exploration of a young mother’s first year of widowhood that is as much a page-turner as any thriller. The translucent beauty of the writing and the sheer humanity of the characters pulled me along.”
—Marisa de Los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Falling Together and Love Walked In
“Juliette Fay can hit the high notes of emotion with unexpected moments of redemption and wry humor.”
—Jacqueline Sheehan, author of Lost & Found
“A richly told story. Fay writes with vivid dialogue and conjures up characters that feel real enough to be sitting in your kitchen.”
—Lee Woodruff, New York Times bestselling author of In An Instant
Review
Praise for Shake Down the Stars
“Yes, I know you hear it all the time, but get ready for an absorbing story told with a unique and compelling voice. Shake Down the Stars is a treat. Renée Swindles writing is funny, sharp, heartbreaking, and quirky, and her non-stock characters wonderfully memorable….Enjoy the ride.”—Lalita Tademy, New York Times bestselling author of Cane River and Red River
“Renée Swindles Shake Down the Stars is a rich, savvy exploration of the many kinds of love, loss, and dysfunction that can unearth us or save us, bedevil us or deliver us…as complex and hilarious as it is surprising and lovely. Shake Down the Stars holds a mirror up to our best and worst selves, and Swindle writes with unflagging compassion and irresistible humor.”—ZZ Packer, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere
“I love, love, love Renée Swindles Shake Down the Stars! Its fresh and unfamiliar—which is quite the trick these days! I love the protagonist and the very unlikely yet charming love interest. The novel manages to be both light and heavy all at the same time. I cannot tell you how much I like it. Well, I can…I loved it. Seriously. One of my favorite reads of the past couple years.”—Nichelle D. Tramble, author of The Dying Ground and The Last King
Synopsis
From the author of Shelter Me--a funny and poignant novel about having your heart in the right place. Newly divorced Dana Stellgarten has always been unfailingly nice- even to telemarketers-but now her temper is wearing thin. Money is tight, her kids are reeling from their dad's departure, and her Goth teenage niece has just landed on her doorstep. As she enters the slipstream of post-divorce romance and is befriended by the town queen bee, Dana finds that the tension between being true to yourself and being liked doesn't end in middle school... and that sometimes it takes a real friend to help you embrace adulthood in all its flawed complexity.
Synopsis
"A Pamela Dorman/Penguin book"--T.p. verso.
Synopsis
As she enters the slipstream of post-divorce romance and is befriended by the town queen bee, newly divorced Dana Stellgarten finds that the tension between being true to herself and being liked doesn't end in middle school.
Synopsis
Reminiscent of Jonathan Tropper and Marisa de los Santos, a novel full of humor, heart, and hope for finding yourself where you least expect to
Sean Doran has spent twenty years in third-world war zones and natural disaster areas, fully embracing what he'd always felt was his purpose: to do as much good as possible.
But when burnout sets in, Sean finds himself reluctantly drawn home to Belham, Massachusetts, the setting of Juliette Fay's much-loved Shelter Me. There, he discovers that his steely elderly aunt, dramatic sister, and quirky nephew are having a little natural disaster of their own, and that midlife romance gets complicated fast when the high school queen bee is involved. But it's an old friend—the class wallflower—who has Sean wondering if his destiny is about to be rewritten all over again, in another perfect serving of a slice of life from the irresistible Fay.
Synopsis
A NOVEL FULL OF HUMOR AND HOPE FOR FINDING YOURSELF WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECTED Sean has spent twenty years in Third World war zones and natural disaster areas, fully embracing what he’d always felt was his life’s mission. But when burnout sets in, Sean is reluctantly drawn home to Belham, Massachusetts, the setting of Fay’s much-loved Shelter Me. There, he discovers that his steely aunt, overly dramatic sister, and quirky nephew are having a little natural disaster of their own. When he reconnects with a woman from his past, Sean has to wonder if the bonds of love and loyalty might just rewrite his destiny. Completely relatable, The Shortest Way Home is another perfect serving of a slice of life from the irresistible Fay.
Synopsis
A NOVEL FULL OF HUMOR AND HOPE FOR FINDING YOURSELF WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECTED
Sean has spent twenty years in Third World war zones and natural disaster areas, fully embracing what hed always felt was his lifes mission. But when burnout sets in, Sean is reluctantly drawn home to Belham, Massachusetts, the setting of Fays much-loved Shelter Me. There, he discovers that his steely aunt, overly dramatic sister, and quirky nephew are having a little natural disaster of their own. When he reconnects with a woman from his past, Sean has to wonder if the bonds of love and loyalty might just rewrite his destiny. Completely relatable, The Shortest Way Home is another perfect serving of a slice of life from the irresistible Fay.
Winner of the Library Journal Award for Best Women's Fiction
About the Author
Juliette Fay’s first novel, Shelter Me, was a 2009 Massachusetts Book Award Book of the Year. Her second novel, Deep Down True, was short-listed for the Women’s Fiction Award by the American Library Association. She received a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a master’s degree from Harvard University. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four children. The Shortest Way Home is her third novel.