Jen Dixon
Ready for Her Next Chapter as Class Mom in Yoga Pant Nation by Laurie Gelman By Elizabeth Elston
T
he hilarious and irreverent Jen Dixon is class mom—again— in YOGA PANT NATION (Henry Holt and Company; 978-1-25077757-7; July 13, 2021; $26.99; Hardcover) by Laurie Gelman. And Jen’s final year as class mom is a breeze until the PTA president asks her to champion the school’s annual fundraiser, a notoriously challenging job which, as we know, is right up Jen’s alley. It’s pretty much mayhem as Jen deals with a temperamental fundraising committee, the Hindenburg of bake sales, and countless other natural and unnatural disasters that deter her from reaching her goal of raising $10,000. She is also dealing with her tenyear-old son Max, who may or may not be a fifth-grade bully. But outside of William Taft Elementary, Jen’s life is good, even if she and her daughter Vivs don’t see eye-to-eye on the whole parenting thing. She’s a grandma for the first time to two-year-old Maude who is, by Jen’s description, “delightful and delicious.” And she’s taking her love of spinning to the next level by attempting to become an instructor and finding an unlikely ally in her husband Ron’s crazy ex-wife Cindy. As ever, when life gets crazy, humor is Jen’s best stress relief. Her acerbic emails to the class parents and friendly spars with her daughter over how organic is organic-enough for baby food will have readers laughing out loud and texting Jen’s best lines to their friends.
Laurie Gelman was born and raised in the Great White North. She spent twenty-five years as a broadcaster in both Canada and the United States before trying her hand at writing novels. The author of Class Mom and You’ve Been Volunteered, Laurie has appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Watch What Happens Live, and The Talk, among others. She lives in New York City with her husband, Michael Gelman, and their two teenage daughters. ADVANCE PRAISE FOR YOGA PANT NATION “Another homerun for Laurie Gelman! Yoga Pant Nation is hilarious and warm, with sharp observations and unforgettable characters. When I wasn’t laughing, I was cheering, rooting for a chaotic yet loving family that somehow manages to figure it all out.” —Byron Lane, author of A Star is Bored PRAISE FOR THE CLASS MOM SERIES “Something tells me that Laurie Gelman has been volunteered many, many times. This is a must-read and a love letter to all those underappreciated multitaskers, who just want to be left alone.” —Kelly Ripa “Gelman’s laugh-out-loud follow-up gets an A.” —People
“[A] funny, charming debut novel…With its appealing tone and a sweet mystery at its core, Class Mom offers up refreshingly likable characters in relatably goofy situations.” —Good Housekeeping “Gelman gets right to the point reuniting readers with the main character they fell in love with in her debut, Class Mom…Her antics are laugh-out-loud funny, and she shows no signs of slowing down. The tone and pacing are excellent, and new characters, who come with their own issues and snark, are delightful.” —Library Journal, *starred review* “Wisecracking Jen Dixon is back in Gelman’s enjoyable follow-up to Class Mom. This refreshing take on modern suburbia will appeal to fans of Lauren Weisberger.” —Publishers Weekly “Dixon’s emails to and escapades among the concerned parents of Kansas City have the same anodyne quality as an old-fashioned television sitcom, with a pratfall, a wisecrack, and a chuckle every few minutes like clockwork… Just add chardonnay.” —Kirkus Reviews For more information, visit: www.hudsonbooksellers.com/ book/9781250777577
“Irreverent and hilarious” —The New York Post September 2021
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