Sloane Tanen

reads from her novel, There's a Word for That, a hilarious and moving chronicle of a wildly flawed family that comes together--in rehab, of all places--even as each member is on the verge of falling apart.

"Full of intelligence and charm."--Kirkus Reviews (starred)

To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of There's a Word for That by speaking to a bookseller or ordering from our website.

Thursday, April 25, 2019 - 7:30pm

Introducing the Kesslers: Marty, a retired LA film producer whose self-worth has been eroded by age and a late-in-life passion for opioids; his daughter Janine, former child star suffering the after-effects of life in the public eye; and granddaughter Hailey, the "less-than" twin sister, whose inferiority complex takes a most unexpected turn. Nearly six thousand miles away, in London, celebrated author Bunny Small, Marty's long-forgotten first wife, has her own problems: a "preposterous" case of writer's block, a monstrous drinking habit, and a son who has fled halfway around the world to escape her. 

When Marty's pill-popping gets out of hand and Bunny's boozing reaches crisis proportions, a perfect storm of dysfunction brings them all together at Directions, Malibu's most exclusive and absurd rehab center. 

But for all their failings, the members of this estranged--and strange--family love each other. Rich with warmth, humor, and deep insight, There's a Word for That is a comic ode to surviving the people closest to us, navigating the perils of success, and taking one last look in the rearview mirror before mapping out the road ahead.

Sloane Tanen is the author of nine illustrated and YA books, including Bitter With Baggage Seeks SameThe Life and Time of Some Chickens and Hatched: The Big Push from Pregnancy to Motherhood. She lives in Oakland with her husband, the writer Gary Taubes, and their two sons.

Event address: 
2904 College Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94705
There's a Word for That By Sloane Tanen Cover Image
$28.00
Email or call for price
ISBN: 9780316437165
Published: Little, Brown and Company - April 2nd, 2019