The Jetsetters

1 / Charlotte

Some evenings, Charlotte found herself standing in front of the family portrait. It hung in her Savannah, Georgia condominium, above the gas fireplace she rarely turned on. In the painting, her hair was a marvel of burnt umber and gold, falling in loose waves around her jawline. Her face was inscrutable with a Mona Lisa smile, as they called it, alluring in its standoffishness. No actual person smiled in this way. It was an expression meant to be gazed upon, not the sort of smile that came spontaneously, from joy. And yet, Charlotte concluded, she looked lovely, much better than she d ever looked in real life. And certainly much better than she looked now that she was seventy-­one years old, her gray hair frosted to Marilyn Monroe platinum every third Tuesday by Hannah at Shear Envy.

Charlotte decided to wear a little black dress to her best friend s funeral. Minnie had made gentle fun of Charlotte when she bought a neon-­pink cardigan at the Ralph Lauren outlet store, so Charlotte tossed it over her shoulders and added a white Coach purse. Charlotte could have called her daughter Regan for a ride, but then she would have to hear about the Weight Watchers gift certificate again, so Charlotte drove herself.

Charlotte and Minnie had discussed caskets more than once. Charlotte felt an open casket was both scary and kind of tacky. Minnie disagreed. She believed that saying goodbye to an actual face gave you more closure afterward. I deal in reality, Minnie had said, and you live in denial. Or you try. But it s going to catch up with you one day, Char.

Perhaps today was the day.

Charlotte walked slowly to the altar, weak and dizzy. She could see Father Thomas watching her, and appreciated his concern. She peered inside the open casket, as Minnie would have wanted her to do. Minnie was wearing too much bronzer, but then she had always worn too much bronzer. Charlotte had tried to tell her, Minnie, go easy with

Amanda Eyre Ward is the critically acclaimed author of seven novels, including How to Be Lost, Close Your Eyes, The Same Sky, and The Nearness of You. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her family.

At the heart of [Amanda] Ward s comic story of family estrangement and long-buried trauma is the adage There s no such thing as a free ride but her novel s ultimate destination is both surprising and transporting. The New York Times Book Review

[Amanda] Ward reveals she has a way with humor. . . . The author s eye for forced fun is exquisite. . . . There is a real poignancy in this novel, as wounded characters struggle to regain childhood loyalties. Ward nails how family expeditions are ruined and saved, over and over again, by fleeting moments of connection and the consensus to survive without killing one another. Judy Blundell, The New York Times Book Review

Witty, insightful, and full of heart . . . Defined by a long-ago tragedy and long-held grudges, grievances, and resentments, the Perkins clan has plenty of reasons to keep secrets from one another secrets that inevitably, over the course of their forced family fun vacay, spill out. . . . The perfect novel to read in a pool lounger as you sip a colorful cocktail. Mediterranean sunset optional. Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train
 
What a joy! Treat yourself to The Jetsetters and let Amanda Eyre Ward s wit, poignancy, and insight take you away. You deserve it. . . . The funniest novel that ever broke your heart. Andrew Sean Greer, New York Times bestselling and Pulitzer Prize winning author of Less
 
Heartwarming, funny, and poignant, The Jetsetters kept me up late turning the pages. . . . Compulsively readable. Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee
 
This book has you completely devoted to the family to their heartbreak, their secrets, their bravery, their joy by page two. Ward crystallizes the amorphous nature of relationships in a way that gets you laughing and then bawling, then laughing again, then bawling, and ultimately feeling deliriously alive. . .