Synopses & Reviews
With her best-selling debut,
Girls in White Dresses (An “irresistible, pitch-perfect first novel” —
Marie Claire), Jennifer Close captured friendship in those what-on-earth-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life years of early adulthood. Now, with her sparkling new novel of parenthood and sibling rivalry, Close turns her gimlet eye to the only thing messier than friendship: family.
Weezy Coffey’s parents had always told her she was the smart one, while her sister was the pretty one. “Maureen will marry well,” their mother said, but instead it was Weezy who married well, to a kind man and good father. Weezy often wonders if she did this on purpose — thwarting expectations just to prove her parents wrong.
But now that Weezy’s own children are adults, they haven’t exactly been meeting her expectations either. Her oldest child, Martha, is thirty and living in her childhood bedroom after a spectacular career flameout. Martha now works at J.Crew, folding pants with whales embroidered on them and complaining bitterly about it. Weezy’s middle child, Claire, has broken up with her fiancé, canceled her wedding, and locked herself in her New York apartment — leaving Weezy to deal with the caterer and florist. And her youngest, Max, is dating a college classmate named Cleo, a girl so beautiful and confident she wears her swimsuit to family dinner, leaving other members of the Coffey household blushing and stammering into their plates.
As the Coffey children’s various missteps drive them back to their childhood home, Weezy suddenly finds her empty nest crowded and her children in full-scale regression. Martha is moping like a teenager, Claire is stumbling home drunk in the wee hours, and Max and Cleo are skulking around the basement, guarding a secret of their own. With radiant style and a generous spirit, The Smart One is a story about the ways in which we never really grow up, and the place where we return when things go drastically awry: home.
Review
“Wit and vibrant characters make The Smart One an engaging exploration of a thoroughly modern family dynamic.” People
Review
“This bighearted novel examines a generation of nonstarters with a mix of empathy and Close’s signature deadpan, pathos-driven humor.” Entertainment Weekly
Review
“The Smart One is emotionally engaging and thoughtful; like Anne Tyler, Close goes straight into the heart of a group of people to show all its flawed, complicated members clearly and deftly and totally without judgment. There is not one dull moment — Close is a subtle and incisive writer who gets better with each new book.” Kate Christensen, author of The Astral
Review
“The novel sings in the small moments when its women express uncomfortable truths, undercurrents of sibling resentment and parental disappointment, which usually remain unspoken....Perfect for the beach or a long plane trip.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
“A well-written family drama in which all the characters keep moving forward, but not all the loose ends are completely and neatly tied....Sure to please.” Library Journal
Review
“Close’s gift as a writer is her spare but delicious prose and unflinching way of describing her characters.” The Globe and Mail
Review
“The Smart One focuses on the intersections of self-discovery, independence, and reliance in the modern family, all enlivened by Close’s signature wit and warmth....A touchingly tender, emotionally honest novel about shifting priorities and the nontraditional career paths so many find themselves on.” Booklist
Synopsis
A funny and tender follow-up to the bestselling novel Girls in White Dresses--and "an engaging exploration" (People) about the ways in which we never really grow up, and the people we turn to when things go drastically wrong: family.
The Coffey siblings are having a rough year. Martha is thirty and working at J. Crew after a spectacular career flameout; Claire has broken up with her fianc and locked herself in her New York apartment until her bank account looks as grim as her mood; and the baby of the family, Max, is dating a knockout classmate named Cleo and keeping a very big, very life-altering secret. The only solution--for all of them--is to move back home.
But things aren't so easy the second time around, for them or for their mother, Weezy. Martha and Claire have regressed to fighting over the shared bathroom, Weezy can't quite bring herself to stop planning Claire's thwarted wedding, and Max and Cleo are exchanging secretive whispers in the basement.
Synopsis
From the bestselling author of Girls in White Dresses, this funny and tender novel is "an engaging exploration of a thoroughly modern family dynamic" (People) and the ways in which we never really grow up, and the people we turn to when things go drastically wrong.
The Coffey siblings are having a rough year. Martha is thirty and working at J. Crew after a spectacular career flameout; Claire has broken up with her fianc and locked herself in her New York apartment until her bank account looks as grim as her mood; and the baby of the family, Max, is dating a knockout classmate named Cleo and keeping a very big, very life-altering secret. The only solution--for all of them--is to move back home.
But things aren't so easy the second time around, for them or for their mother, Weezy. Martha and Claire have regressed to fighting over the shared bathroom, Weezy can't quite bring herself to stop planning Claire's thwarted wedding, and Max and Cleo are exchanging secretive whispers in the basement.
About the Author
Jennifer Close is the best-selling author of Girls in White Dresses. Born and raised on the North Shore of Chicago, she is a graduate of Boston College and received her MFA in fiction writing from the New School in 2005. She worked in New York in magazines for many years. She now lives in Washington, DC, and teaches creative writing at George Washington University.