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.
