Helen of Pasadena - Tapa blanda

"A compelling narrative and a memorable cast."
-- Publishers Weekly

"Lian is known for her humorous take on day-to-day issues facing women everywhere."
-- Oprah.com

"A send-up of a 40something mom who finds herself suddenly widowed, broke, and forced to reinvent herself...opinionated, energetic, and sassy."
-- Mandalit del Barco, NPR

"A knockout debut...it mixes up the classics and class structure in a deliciously witty romp."
-- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times-bestselling author of Cruel Beautiful World and Pictures of You

"Every reader will see something of herself in Dolan's likable heroine, Helen of Pasadena. Offering up every woman's worst fear, Dolan pulls the rug out from under Helen, and we get to watch as she recovers and reinvents herself with wit, charm, and smarts."
-- Sally Bjornsen, author of A Single Girl's Guide to Marrying a Man, His Kids, and His Ex-Wife

A Los Angeles Times Bestseller

A witty, timely and richly entertaining tale of a modern mother in transition
Helen Fairchild is leading a privileged Pasadena existence: married to a pillar of the community; raising a water polo-playing son destined for the most select high school; volunteering her time on the most fashionable committees. It only bothers Helen a tiny bit that she has never quite fit in with the proper Pasadena crowd, never finished that graduate degree in Classics, and never had that second baby. But the rigid rules of society in Pasadena appeal to Helen, the daughter of Oregon fiber artists, even if she'll never be on the inside.

And then along comes a Rose Parade float, killing her philandering husband and leaving Helen broke, out of her “forever" house, and scrambling to salvage her once-rarefied existence. Enter Patrick O'Neill, excavator of Troy and wearer of nubby sweaters. A job as Dr. O'Neill's research assistant is the lifeline Helen needs to reinvent herself. Ancient mysteries to solve! Charity events to plan! School admissions advisors to charm! If Helen wasn’t so distracted by her incredibly attractive boss, she might be able to pull off this new life.

Helen's world widens to include a Hollywood star, a gossip columnist, an old college nemesis, a high-powered Neutron Mom, an unforgiving school headmistress, the best Armenian real estate agent in the biz, and, of course, the intriguing Patrick O'Neill. While uncovering secrets about ancient Troy alongside her archaeologist boss, Helen discovers something much more: a new sense of self and a new love.

With its keen social observations, laugh-out-loud scenes and whip-smart dialogue, Helen of Pasadena delivers humor, insight and wisdom on reinventing yourself.