Other People's Houses

by Abbi Waxman Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

Overview

“Abbi Waxman is both irreverent and thoughtful.”-#1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin

The author of The Garden of Small Beginnings returns with a hilarious and poignant new novel about four families, their neighborhood carpool, and the affair that changes everything.

At any given moment in other people's houses, you can find...repressed hopes and dreams...moments of unexpected joy...someone making love on the floor to a man who is most definitely not her husband...

*record scratch*

As the longtime local carpool mom, Frances Bloom is sometimes an unwilling witness to her neighbors' private lives. She knows her cousin is hiding her desire for another baby from her spouse, Bill Horton's wife is mysteriously missing, and now this...

After the shock of seeing Anne Porter in all her extramarital glory, Frances vows to stay in her own lane. But that's a notion easier said than done when Anne's husband throws her out a couple of days later. The repercussions of the affair reverberate through the four carpool families--and Frances finds herself navigating a moral minefield that could make or break a marriage.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

02/26/2018
A spin-off of The Garden of Small Beginnings, Waxman’s fun sophomore novel stars consummate mom Frances Bloom, her family, and her neighbors—a “gaggle of middle-class white people”—and all of the comedy, drama, and quotidian details that make up their lives. Frances runs the carpool for her children and those of the Porter, Horton, and Carter-Gillespie families on her block, and is generally able to take everything in stride. But she’s knocked off her game when she enters the home of her neighbor, Anne Porter, to retrieve some forgotten craft supplies for Anne’s daughter, Kate, and discovers Anne on the floor with a man who is not her husband. The fallout provides the main dramatic push, but other threads include just where Bill Horton’s wife, Julie, has gone and whether Iris Carter will convince her wife, Sara Gillespie, to have another child. While Frances has her concerns, such as dealing with her 14-year-old daughter, Ava, she largely provides the story’s humor. Hilarious ruminations about child-rearing, shopping, and other parents give this broad appeal that should extend beyond fans of Waxman’s first novel. (Apr.)

From the Publisher

Praise for Other People's Houses 
Named A Highly Anticipated Book for 2018 by InStyle online, Elite Daily, and Hello Giggles• One of Popsugar's “10 Books Your Favorite Celebrities Are Reading This Spring”

“We absolutely adored Abbi Waxman’s The Garden of Small Beginnings. And if it’s possible, we’re even more in love with her much-anticipated follow-up, Other People’s Houses. April’s book club pick is set in stone.”—Hello Giggles

“Meet your new favorite wry writer.”—The Daily Beast

“Hilarious ruminations about child-rearing, shopping, and other parents give [Other People's Houses] broad appeal that should extend beyond fans of Waxman's first novel.”—Publishers Weekly

“Once again, Waxman manages to take a far-reaching topic and sprinkle it with spicy dialogue, adorable kids, and characters who feel like best friends...Frances is equal parts warmth and snark as she considers her friends and neighbors through the lens of TMI. Recommend to those who like to turn pages quickly without sacrificing complex characters.”—Booklist

Praise for The Garden of Small Beginnings
As seen in Elle.com, The Washington Post, Woman’s World, Flavorwire, HelloGiggles, Bustle, Brit & Co, and more!
 
“Filled with characters you’ll love and wish you lived next door to in real life.”—Bustle
 
“Brilliant...Quirky yet very real characters sparkle on every page.”—Karen White, New York Times bestselling author
 
“A quirky, funny, and deeply thoughtful bookl.”—HelloGiggles
 
“A summer beach read with meat.”—Associated Press
 
“This is my favorite kind of book—hilarious, sad, joyful. Beautifully written. Fun. I dare you not to enjoy it.”—Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Be Frank With Me
 
“A beautiful book full of humor, heart, and deep insight...Abbi Waxman’s quick wit and heart shine brightly throughout this debut novel. I just loved it!”—Molly Shannon, actress
 
“Funny and poignant. Guaranteed to make you laugh and cry. May make you want to play in dirt and grow a new life of your own.”—Wendy Wax, USA Today bestselling author of One Good Thing
 
“Full of wry humor and a cleareyed view of how life keeps offering good things...This debut begs for an encore from Waxman.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) 
 
“[Waxman’s] narrative and dialog are drenched with spring showers of witty and irreverent humor.”—Library Journal (starred review)

Kirkus Reviews

2018-01-23
A charming yet provocative look at the close-knit Los Angeles neighborhood of Larchmont, where one woman's indiscretion forces everyone to re-examine their marriages. Frances Bloom drives a carpool of children, including her own three, to school each morning. This makes her privy to more personal information than most, but she is discreet—the ideal neighbor. One morning she knocks on her friend Anne's door, then enters, and is stunned to see what Anne is doing on the living room floor...and not with her husband! Frances keeps Anne's secret, but Anne's husband eventually finds out. His wrath scorches her, and the neighbors feel the effects. They face their own doubts and worries that perhaps their own marriages could be up for a similar fall—and they all have good reason. And the kids fear the breakups of their parents' marriages. Thus ensues a series of precautionary (mis)steps meant to shore up relationships, followed by conversations that serve to create as much doubt as they are intended to allay. Waxman (The Garden of Small Beginnings, 2017) is adept at creating sympathetic, believable characters. It's primarily Frances' gentle but tongue-in-cheek presence and subtle strength—along with her unique powers of expression, rich in original similes and metaphors—that carry readers along. The "Cast of Characters" and "Frances's Map of the Neighborhood" set the stage for a great read before the first chapter begins. This is a voyeuristic (in a nice way) and humorous trip through what is usually hidden behind closed doors.Waxman is a master at purveying the wry humor that rides just below the surface of even the tough times. An immensely enjoyable read.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171851064
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	04/03/2018
Edition description:	Unabridged

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Excerpted from "Other People's Houses"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Abbi Waxman.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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