The Trouble with Lexie: A Novel

Description

"There isn't a human alive who can resist the charm of Jessica Anya Blau's novels! A coming-of-age tale for the new millennium, The Trouble with Lexie is one of the most deeply enjoyable-and deeply satisfying-novels I've read in ages." -Joanna Rakoff, author of My Salinger Year From the beloved author of The Summer of Naked Swim Parties and The Wonder Bread Summer comes the jaw-dropping story of Lexie James, a counselor at an exclusive New England prep school, whose search for happiness lands her in unexpectedly wild trouble. Lexie James escaped: after being abandoned by her alcoholic father, and kicked out of the apartment to make room for her mother's boyfriend, Lexie made it on her own. She earned a Masters degree, conquered terrifying panic attacks, got engaged to the nicest guy she'd ever met, and landed a counseling job at the prestigious Ruxton Academy, a prep school for the moneyed children of the elite. But as her wedding date nears, Lexie has doubts. Yes, she's created the stable life she craved as a child, but is stability really what she wants In her moment of indecision, Lexie strikes up a friendship with a Ruxton alumnus, the father of her favorite student. It's a relationship that blows open Lexie's carefully constructed life, and then dunks her into shocking situations with headline-worthy trouble. The perfect cocktail of naughtiness, heart, adventure and humor, The Trouble with Lexie is a wild and poignant story of the choices we make to outrun our childhoods-and the choices we have to make to outrun our entangled adult lives.

Jessica Anya Blau is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Johns Hopkins University, where she received her masters in fiction and where she currently lectures and teaches Creative Writing. In 2005, she was chosen the Tennessee Williams Scholar at Sewanee Writer's Conference. Her stories have appeared in The Sun Magazine, The First Line, Washington Square Magazine, Santa Barbara Independent and many more notable publications. She is the author of one previous novel, 'The Summer of Naked Swim Parties'.

"THE TROUBLE WITH LEXIE is the book you will want to read this summer! Lexie will make you laugh, make you scream, make you grimace--but mostly she will make you fall in love with her." -- Ann Hood "Jessica Anya Blau is one of the funniest writers--EVER. No one captures the oddities, joys--and yes--the pain of modern life with such frankness, humor and sly-witted style." -- ZZ Packer, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere "Jessica Anya Blau's Lexie gets into some serious trouble and you'll laugh and cringe as you turn page after page to find out what she'll do next. Wicked, sexy, and sly, this is a wildly entertaining novel." -- Robert Lopez, author of Good People "There isn't a human alive who can resist the charm of Jessica Anya Blau's novels! A coming-of-age tale for the new millennium, THE TROUBLE WITH LEXIE is one of the most deeply enjoyable-and deeply satisfying-novels I've read in ages." -- Joanna Rakoff, author of My Salinger Year "Only Jessica Anya Blau could make such an exasperating woman so funny. And only Blau could combine such guilty pleasures with real world pain." -- Helen Simonson, author of The Summer Before the War "Jessica Anya Blau writes with all-in velocity, vim and vigor, a ripping high-performance performance. She runs rings around the boarding school coming-of-age novel, making her separate peaces in spades." -- Michael Martone, author of Michael Martone and Winesburg, Indiana "When reading THE TROUBLE WITH LEXIE, everything else seems less important. Sleep? Nourishment? Caring about the escaped convict who's loose in your neighborhood? Meh. Far better to soak in Jessica Anya Blau's hilarious and fascinating tale of illicit sex, ill-advised break-ins and stolen vibrators." -- Greg Bardsley, author of The Bob Watson and Cash Out "A crazy and twisted ending ... readers will be gasping by the last page." -- Library Journal