the healing art of telling stories

Casey Pendergast was in advertising, and she was good. She knew just how to tell a story to make the sale. She could woo clients and create selling points with the best of them. As part of PR (People’s Republic), one of the largest ad agencies in her Midwestern city, Casey ran her group with good humor and strength. Se works hard, and her work is noticed by Celeste, the owner of PR.

Celeste has a new idea, a blue ocean in business terms, where she pairs respected writers with companies in need of new marketing copy, or a reset after some bad press. The writers can elevate the social media and packaging with their artistry, and the writers get paid handsomely for a small amount of effort. Celeste is calling this new venture Nanü, and she has tapped Celeste as the one to travel around the country, recruiting the writers that Celeste has hand chosen for this new venture.

At first Celeste is overjoyed. She loves the idea of being in on the ground floor of Nanü and wants to make it successful. The first writer she meets with, Ben, will be promoting pens, and he’s excited for the opportunity. He is caring for his aging mother, and the payout for this project will help a lot. Plus, Celeste can’t deny the chemistry she is feeling with him.

Ben has something else going for him. He’s a good writer, according to Celeste’s best friend Susan. Susan is a writer, as yet unpublished, and in Celeste’s opinion, a little stuck. Celeste wants Susan to release her writing into the world, and Celeste is hoping that her working with authors will put her in a position to promote Susan’s writing too.

But as Celeste continues to meet writers and sign them up for Nanü, she starts to feel like she is selling out the art and artists she loved for so long. Will she be able to find her way back to the person she wants to be, or will she continue to sell her soul, and the souls of others, for exotic vacations and a custom closet in her condo? A series of bad choices puts Celeste face to face with her biggest fears, and she has to decide if she’s going to hide under the shame or fight back for the life she really wants.

A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out is a modern myth. It’s a strange story about what’s most important in life and how we spend our time. It’s about the power of friendship to heal and the power of stories to save us. But mostly it’s the story of one woman trying to figure out how to love herself after a lifetime of rejecting herself.

I can see how not everyone would love this book. Celeste is a difficult character to listen to. She can be incredibly shallow, even vapid, at times, but then she will turn around and point out a powerful piece of insight about the human condition. She works in advertising to make money, but she can also get lost in a novel or in poetry like a true former English major. She is selfish and insecure and uses power to intimidate when she wants to. But she is also kind and compassionate and generous, which is why her friends stick with her no matter what.

I really enjoyed A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out. I thought it was smart and funny and enduring. But if you’re someone who wats a likeable main character, then Celeste may not be for you. But if you think you can take it, then buckle up and grab a drink, and enjoy the wild ride you’re about to embark on.

Egalleys for A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out were provided by Mariner Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.