Synopses & Reviews
Best friends forever
until life got in the way.
Katherine Hill left her small New England hometown in pursuit of a dream. Now, twelve years later, shes a high-powered cosmetics executive in Manhattan and a much glossier version of her former self, unrecognizable to her family and old friends. Not that she would knowshe hasnt been home in over a decade.
Laney Marten always swore shed never get stuck” in Manchester, Vermont. No, she was destined to live out her glamorous big-city dreams. Instead, she wound up a young wife and mother. That was when her best friend ran out.
When Katherine receives word of an inheritance from former neighbor Luella Hancock, she reluctantly returns home to the people and places she left behind. Hoping for a second chance, shes met by an unforgiving Laney, her former best friend. And theres someone else whos moved on without hersomeone she once loved.
Tethered to their shared inheritance of Luellas sprawling Victorian mansion, Katherine and Laney are forced to address their long-standing grudges. Through this, they come to understand that while life has taken them in different directions, ultimately the bonds of friendship and sisterhood still bind them together. But are some wounds too old and deep to mend?
Review
"So much happens in this wonderfully plotted first novel that it's hard to believe the events all occur in the space of a few days. Dave expertly captures the ennui and indecision many twenty- and thirty-somethings grapple with when faced with big, life-changing decisions." Booklist
Review
"Endearingly quirky...[a] charming, offbeat debut...that winningly explores the romantic choices we make." USA Today
Review
"Such a satisfying read... The relationships among her cast are complicated, fraught and tender. Her story reads sweet but real." The Washington Post
Review
"The Divorce Party is a wry and observant novel about the relationship between an engaged woman and a woman on the verge of divorce, and the latter woman's divorce party... Insightful." The Boston Globe
Review
"In lustrous, supple language and with breathtaking acuity, Laura Dave explores the intricate inner lives of two women as they struggle to know the men they love...they face the same thorny question: how many lies and how much truth can love bear?" Marisa de los Santos, author of Love Walked In
Review
"A revealing, honest portrait of how love binds us together and drives us apart. Laura Dave understands the affections and contradictions within the human soul. I love this book!" Kate Jacobs, author of Friday Night Knitting Club
Synopsis
A multi-generational story about what it means to share a life with someone, "The Divorce Party" presents two immensely appealing women: Gwyn, who is facing the end of her marriage, and Maggie, who is trying to navigate the beginning of hers.
Synopsis
" Sizzle Factor: SPF 50. A secret marriage, lies about affairs . . . even sex on the day of the divorce party" (USA Today)-the hottest beach read of the summer
The second novel fromLaura Dave, the acclaimed author ofEight Hundred Grapes. In The Divorce Party, she captures a much-discussed cultural phenomenon that has never been profiled in fiction before-divorce celebrations-with her characteristic wit and warmth. Set in Hamptons high society, The Divorce Party features two women-one newly engaged and one at the end of her marriage-trying to answer the same question: when should you fight to save a relationship, and when should you let go?
An insightful and funny multi-generational story, this deeply moving novel is sure to touch anyone whose heart has weathered an unexpected storm."
Synopsis
-Sizzle Factor: SPF 50. A secret marriage, lies about affairs . . . even sex on the day of the divorce party- (USA Today)
The second novel from Laura Dave, the acclaimed author of Eight Hundred Grapes and Hello Sunshine. In The Divorce Party, she captures a much-discussed cultural phenomenon that has never been profiled in fiction before-divorce celebrations-with her characteristic wit and warmth. Set in Hamptons high society, The Divorce Party features two women-one newly engaged and one at the end of her marriage-trying to answer the same question: when should you fight to save a relationship, and when should you let go?
An insightful and funny multi-generational story, this deeply moving novel is sure to touch anyone whose heart has weathered an unexpected storm.
Synopsis
On their 35th anniversary, Gwyn Huntington and her husband Thomas have invited friends and family to their Montauk home. Instead of celebrating their decades-long love, they are toasting their divorce. This also marks the weekend that their son brings home his fiancée, Maggie Mackenzie, for the first time. Maggie thought she was joining a perfect family, but she is about to reckon with some uncomfortable truths about the man she wants to marry.
A multi-generational story about what it means to share a life with someone, The Divorce Party brings us two immensely appealing women: Gwyn who is stumbling upon the end of her marriage, and Maggie, her future-daughter-in-law, who is trying to navigate the beginning of hers. With emotional candor and surprising humor, these two women find themselves trying to answer the same questions: Can you ever really know someone? When should you fight for the person you love most, and when should you begin to let him go?
Synopsis
" Sizzle Factor: SPF 50. A secret marriage, lies about affairs . . . even sex on the day of the divorce party" (USA Today)-the hottest beach read of the summerLaura Dave is widely recognized as an up-and-coming talent in women's fiction. Now, with her characteristic wit and warmth, she captures a much-discussed cultural phenomenon that has never been profiled in fiction before-divorce celebrations. Set in Hamptons high society, The Divorce Party features two women-one newly engaged and one at the end of her marriage-trying to answer the same question: when should you fight to save a relationship, and when should you let go?
An insightful and funny multi-generational story, this deeply moving novel is sure to touch anyone whose heart has weathered an unexpected storm.
Synopsis
Breaking up is hard to do. At least the first few times. Even though Molly Grant has only a handful of relationships behind her, she’s already been through more divorces than she can count.
At the premier Manhattan law firm where she’s a matrimonial attorney, the hours are long, the bosses tyrannical, and the bonuses stratospheric. Her clients are rich, famous, and used to getting their way. Molly’s job—and primary concern in life—is to work as hard as possible to make sure they do. Until she meets the client who changes everything….
Fern Walker is the desperate former wife of a ruthless media mogul. Her powerful ex is slowly pushing her out of her young children’s lives, and she fears losing them forever. Molly—haunted by an incident from her own past—finds herself unable to walk away from Fern and sets out to help her. She just needs to do it without her bosses finding out.
Now, as complications both professional and personal stack up, Molly can only hope that her own wits, heart, and instincts are enough—both in and out of court.
Synopsis
Breaking up is hard to do. At least the first few times. Even though Molly Grant has only a handful of relationships behind her, she’s already been through more divorces than she can count.
At the premier Manhattan law firm where she’s a matrimonial attorney, the hours are long, the bosses tyrannical, and the bonuses stratospheric. Her clients are rich, famous, and used to getting their way. Molly’s job—and primary concern in life—is to work as hard as possible to make sure they do. Until she meets the client who changes everything….
Fern Walker is the desperate former wife of a ruthless media mogul. Her powerful ex is slowly pushing her out of her young children’s lives, and she fears losing them forever. Molly—haunted by an incident from her own past—finds herself unable to walk away from Fern and sets out to help her. She just needs to do it without her bosses finding out.
Now, as complications both professional and personal stack up, Molly can only hope that her own wits, heart, and instincts are enough—both in and out of court.
About the Author
Laura Dave was born in New York City in 1977. Her writing has appeared in Glamour, Self, and ESPN the Magazine. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she is the recipient of a Henry Hoyns Fellowship, a Tennessee Williams Scholarship, and an AWP Intro Award in Short Fiction.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Laura Dave