Bøker av Stephen McCauley

After a lifetime of taking care of his impossible but irresistible sister and his cherished niece, Tom is ready to put himself first. An architect specializing in tiny houses, he finally has an opportunity to build his masterpiece?"his last shot at leaving a footprint on the dying planet.? Assuming, that is, he can stick to his resolution to keep the demands of his needy family at bay.Naturally, that's when his phone rings. His niece, Cecily?the real love of Tom's life, as his boyfriend reminded him when moving out?is embroiled in a Title IX investigation at the college where she teaches that threatens her career and relationship. And after decades of lying, his sister wants him to help her tell Cecily the real identity of her father.Tom does what he's always done?answers the call. Thus begins a journey that will change everyone's life and demonstrate the beauty or dysfunction (or both?) of the ties that bind families together and sometimes strangle them.Warm, funny, and deeply moving, You Only Call When You're in Trouble is an unforgettable showcase for Stephen McCauley's distinctive voice and unique ability to create complex characters that jump off the page and straight into your heart.

"I don't think I will find a book I love more this year."-Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author"Funny, poignant, joyous, explosive, but most of all affirming of our connections to one another. You Only Call When You're in Trouble is a book to cherish. A book that loves you back. What more could you want, my gosh? Read it!"-Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less Is Lost"The good thing about having everything go wrong in your life all at once is that you don't have to pretend to be doing fine."After a lifetime of kindly taking care of his irresistible but impossible sister and her wonderful daughter, Tom is finally ready to put himself first. An architect, he finally has an opportunity to build his masterpiece with a new client. Assuming, that is, his rich, fickle client-the last woman he slept with before coming out-doesn't follow through on her threats to mess it up.Naturally, that's when his phone rings.His niece, Cecily (the real love of Tom's life, as his boyfriend reminded him when moving out), is caught up in a Title IX investigation at the college where she teaches, and his sister Dorothy is planning to invest her net worth in a retreat center with a "famous" wellness guru. Oh, and after thirty-four years, Dorothy now wants to reveal the identity of Cecily's father.Tom does what he always does-answers the call. And therein lies either the beauty or dysfunction, (or perhaps both) of the sometimes too-tight ties that bind families together.

National BestsellerBest Book of the Year: NPR, Shelf Awareness"e;I didn't know how much I needed a laugh until I began reading Stephen McCauley's new novel, My Ex-Life. This is the kind of witty, sparkling, sharp novel for which the verb 'chortle' was invented."e; -Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air"e;McCauley fits neatly alongside Tom Perrotta and Maria Semple in the category of 'Novelists You'd Most Like to Drive Across the Country With.'"e; -The New York Times Book ReviewDavid Hedges's life is coming apart at the seams. His job helping San Francisco rich kids get into the colleges of their (parents') choice is exasperating; his younger boyfriend has left him; and the beloved carriage house he rents is being sold. His solace is a Thai takeout joint that delivers 24/7.The last person he expects to hear from is Julie Fiske. It's been decades since they've spoken, and he's relieved to hear she's recovered from her brief, misguided first marriage. To him.Julie definitely doesn't have a problem with marijuana (she's given it up completely, so it doesn't matter if she gets stoned almost daily) and the Airbnb she's running out of her seaside house north of Boston is neither shabby nor illegal. And she has two whole months to come up with the money to buy said house from her second husband before their divorce is finalized. She'd just like David's help organizing college plans for her seventeen-year-old daughter.That would be Mandy. To quote Barry Manilow, Oh Mandy. While she knows she's smarter than most of the kids in her school, she can't figure out why she's making so many incredibly dumb and increasingly dangerous choices?When David flies east, they find themselves living under the same roof (one David needs to repair). David and Julie pick up exactly where they left off thirty years ago-they're still best friends who can finish each other's sentences. But there's one broken bit between them that no amount of home renovations will fix.In prose filled with hilarious and heartbreakingly accurate one-liners, Stephen McCauley has written a novel that examines how we define home, family, and love. Be prepared to laugh, shed a few tears, and have thoughts of your own ex-life triggered. (Throw pillows optional.)