Fly Away Home

A Novel

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One of the nation’s most beloved writers, Jennifer Weiner has become a literary phenomenon with millions of copies of her books in print. Her latest work, Fly Away Home , is an unforgettable story of a mother and two daughters who seek refuge in an old Connecticut beach house.

Sylvie has spent the last thirty-eight years being the ideal politician’s wife. After a painful public betrayal, she retreats to her grandmother’s rambling seaside home to ride out the scandal and find herself again.

Sylvie’s eldest daughter, Kate, married out of friendship and respect, not love...then years later, finds herself falling for a most unsuitable man. When the affair ends badly, she sets off in search of a new beginning.

Lizzie, Sylvie’s youngest, who caused her parents such heartache as a teenager, is finally getting her life together. When a summer fling leaves her pregnant, and her charming boyfriend turns violent, Lizzie heads out of town.

Fly Away Home is about a family of women who, together, find their voices, their purpose, and the power they’ve had all along. With Weiner’s signature blend of heartbreak and humor, this stunning follow-up to one of the most popular novels of the year will resonate with listeners everywhere.

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Book details:

Simon & Schuster Audio |
ISBN 9781442316874 |
July 2010

$23.95 List Price

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Praise

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“Unflappably fun… Hilarious… In Jennifer Weiner's luscious new novel, Fly Away Home, a political wife's predicament is the catalyst for a highly entertaining story… The message is choosing to live an authentic... ”

– USA Today

“This is summer reading at its best: entertaining and full of insight into relationships and how they change”

– People (3.5 out of 4 stars)

“Fresh, nuanced... Weiner wryly and sensitively shows the trade-offs we all make to maintain our relationships.”

– Parade

“This best-selling author proves again that she writes the best page-turners around.”

– Elle

“Witty and smart”

– O Magazine

“Fly Away Home is Weiner’s best offering in years. The book is well written, a page turner and timely.”

– Associated Press

“The quintessential beach read!”

– Columbus Dispatch

“Sharp, hysterical, thoughtful. . .Jennifer Weiner's latest treat hits the spot”

– The Providence Journal

“Fly Away Home is the book to pack this summer. The latest from Jennifer Weiner has it all.”

– St. Petersburg Times

“Smart and juicy”

– Good Housekeeping

“Weiner’s trademark blend of wit and sensitivity distinguishes this timely tale about a family in crisis. ”

– Booklist

“Another hit from Weiner…a quick and engaging summer read”

– BookPage

“From the smartest chick-lit author we know...With her signature humor, Weiner humanizes the relationship between a mother and her daughters as they struggle to keep their family together.”

– Glamour

“The chick-lit superstar is back with a juicy tale that centers around the jilted wife of a philandering senator and her two adult daughters as they try to recover from the scandal.”

– Ladies Home Journal

“Lovers of high-quality chick-lit can't seem to get enough of Jennifer Weiner, who leavens the romantic elements of her novels with humour, sophisticated language and insight - not just into the lives of women, but into the social... ”

– The Globe and Mail (Canada)

“A satisfying story.... Not all political scandals are created equal. But Weiner's Fly Away Home is consistently engaging, a yarn that doesn't depend on breaking news to grab our attention.”

– The Denver Post

“Weiner remains one of the most clever and funny writers in the chick-lit universe.”

– The Miami Herald

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Read an Excerpt

SYLVIE

Breakfast in five-star hotels was always the same. This was what Sylvie Serfer Woodruff thought as the elevator descended from the sixth floor and opened onto the gleaming expanse of the lobby of the Four Seasons in Philadelphia. After thirty-two years of marriage, fourteen of them as the wife of the senior senator from New York, after visits to six continents and some of the major cities of the world, perhaps she should have been able to come up with something more profound about human nature and common ground and the ties that bind us all, but there it was—her very own insight. Maybe it wasn’t...

Hear an Excerpt

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Book Reviews

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Reading Group Guide

This reading group guide for Fly Away Home includes discussion questions, ideas for enhancing your book club, and a Q&A with author Jennifer Weiner. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. One of Lizzie’s counselors in Minnesota suggests that she uses her camera as a distancing strategy, saying, “If you’re taking pictures, it takes you out of the story . . . it turns you into an observer instead of a participant.” Lizzie instead thinks that her camera offers her a role as the family historian. Which do you think is true, and why?

2. Both Diana and Richard are involved in extramarital affairs with people that they meet at work. Did you judge them and their actions differently? If so, can you explain why?

3. The mother-daughter relationship is central to Fly Away Home. Discuss how the female characters reacted against their mothers in their own life choices.

4. Flight and escape are recurrent themes in the novel. In contrast, HALT is the mantra Lizzie learns in rehab to help her address addictive behaviors. What do you think the author is saying about coping mechanisms? In which instances do these seem to be healthy and effective, and in which ar see more