SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Susannah Jones narrates the strange story of a political candidate who is running for the Senate and her two adult children who just might derail the whole thing. Candidate Nancy Harrison wakes to discover that her daughter is on the news. As part of a protest group in France, she is throwing a bottle of champagne through a window. Back home, Nancy’s son is writing a musical about the life of Joan Didion, leaving Nancy to try to rescue her daughter from arrest in France while still working to save her own campaign. Jones does an outstanding job of matching the tonal changes in this audiobook. Her ability to capture the deadpan nature of some of the humor makes this an enjoyable but odd listen. V.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 02/07/2022
Ginder (The People We Hate at the Wedding), a former congressional intern and speechwriter for White House chief of staff John Podesta, delivers an effervescent family drama about a man’s attempts to salvage his mother’s Senate run after a PR disaster. In Paris, Greta Harrison hurls a bottle through a restaurant window during a political protest. In Manhattan, Greta’s congresswoman mother, Nancy, attempts to deflect the fallout of her daughter’s headline-grabbing behavior as the story jeopardizes her Senate campaign. She’s the kind of politician who spouts unapologetic lines like “America is disappointing... that’s why we do what we do,” and until Greta’s stunt, that approach has worked. Nancy feverishly appeals to her perpetually single gay son Nick, urging him to put aside his work writing a Joan Didion musical to bring Greta home from Paris. The task is tougher than it looks, but in Ginder’s hands, it yields devilish hilarity. Greta is under the spell of swarthy, seductive Xavier, a celebrity-seeking fascist troll, but he’s no match for Nick and Nancy, who swoop in to settle some unfinished family business. Ginder dexterously describes the machinations of his caffeine-fueled lead and lights up the pages with bubbly, rapid-fire dialogue among such supporting characters as Nancy’s assistant, Cate, and Xavier’s other gal pal, Colette. Politics and blood loyalty can become a slippery slope, but here they’re a perfect combination. This smart and seamless comedy is nonstop fun. Agent: Richard Pine, InkWell Management. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Named one of the "20 Most Anticipated Books of 2022" by Entertainment Weekly
Named one of Bloomberg’s "10 Most-Compelling Books for Spring"
Named one of TODAY's "Best Beach Read of All Time"
Named one of The Washington Post's "13 Feel-Good Books to Brighten Your Summer"
Named one of Electric Lit’s "Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books of 2022"
Named one of Kirkus' "11 Guaranteed Page Turners"
Named one of Women.com's "LGBTQ Must-Reads for Pride Month"
April 2022 Indie Next Pick
“Nominally about politics [Let's Not Do That Again is] a skittering satire about a fissured nuclear family that could be transposed to almost any other power industry. . . . A caper populated by urban elites. I can’t think of anyone in recent years who has lampooned that cohort . . . so freshly and efficiently as Ginder. In a world increasingly starved for good dialogue, Ginder’s is bountiful and crackling, like the screwball comedies of yore. . . . A charmingly subversive treat.”
—The New York Times
“Terrifically sharp...A combination of family drama and political satire....that skewers society and its main characters, but still manages to maintain sufficient affection for all involved for the reader to care about their fates. Satires like Ginder’s that retain a warmth and perhaps just enough of a spirit of farce can point out the wounds without hurting too badly.”
—Chicago Tribune
“If you long for the days of Veep, look for the same dysfunctional family dynamics and political misadventures in Ginder’s latest novel. A delicious satire that’s excellent escapism.”
—The Washington Post
“This bighearted family comedy shines.”
—TIME
“Packed with keen insight about parents and siblings, Let’s Not Do That Again is a triumphant tragicomedy about the politics of Washington and the politics of family.”
—Esquire Magazine
“Ginder mines political works in hilarious new book.”
—New York Post
“[A] sharp, hilarious and surprisingly tender story.”
—Parade
“The witty-on-every-page story of an aspiring senator and her two children who threaten to derail her prospects with public embarrassments, wild antics, and highly questionable art. It’s like they don’t say but probably should: Champagne for my real friends, campaigns for my sham friends.”
—Sloane Crosley, Departures Magazine
“If your summer reading goal is to escape your own family drama by immersing yourself in a different family’s dysfunction, Grant Ginder’s twisty, darkly comic Let's Not Do That Again, about an ambitious politician, her wayward daughter and her steadfast son, will take you far, far away from whatever plane or beach or road trip your summer plans entail.”
—Jennifer Weiner
“Has Grant Ginder written the most fun novel of 2022? 'Fun' might be dismissive of a work so steeped in dazzling prose, insightful portraits of young urbanites, and vivid descriptions of New York City and Paris—not to mention a rather timely political agenda—but Let’s Not Do That Again is just about the most enjoyable and hilarious novel of manners to come around in quite some time.”
—Christopher Bollen, Interview Magazine
“Highly entertaining...Ginder is at his best when tossing all his plates in the air, introducing new characters and subplots, weaving everything together. Ginder deftly blends politics and family, humor and drama, and brings the three Harrisons vividly to life. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.”
—The Boston Globe
“In this smart, witty novel from the author of The People We Hate at the Wedding, no institution—from family to the U.S. government—is safe from skewering, and you're sure to enjoy every word.”
—Town & Country
“There's a very particular kind of pleasure to be taken from peering into the inner lives of the extremely rich; it's even more gratifying when the 1 percent in question are the covert, corrupt variety. Grant Ginder has whipped up an alluring romp about one such Upper East Side family... [with] characters we can root for even when they are behaving badly (they're wickedly funny). Let's Not Do That Again delivers just the spoonful of sugar you need it to.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“Captivating...By virtue of their familiar quirks and Ginder's masterful manipulation of narrative voice, readers easily fall for these characters. Ginder's book is not only a love letter to dysfunctional families, or even that side of the family you only see over holidays — it is a love letter to all families, to our loved ones, and to ourselves. It is a reminder that we fight for love because we care and we hope.”
—BookBrowse
“Nobody’s better than Grant Ginder at creating characters who are deeply flawed, vividly human, and wholly recognizable. Let’s Not Do That Again is not only perfectly tuned to this moment in time, but is hilarious, suspenseful, and whip smart. It’s also wise—wise about the ways we sometimes fail to love and care for each other but choose to keep trying. Like the best stories (and in spite of the book’s title) I can't wait to read it again.”
—Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of Good Company and The Nest
“Let's Not Do That Again is a biting, hilarious, and endearing novel about family, politics, and the complicated (and simultaneously obvious) nature of love. Signature Ginder.”
—Rebecca Serle, New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and The Dinner List
“Let's Not Do That Again is a treasure: cold-blooded in its humor, warm-hearted in its faith in its characters. Grant Ginder has written a gem of a novel that is hilarious when it is skewering politics and heartfelt when it is examining what it means to be a parent — and, yes, a grown child. Also, the twists and turns were surprising as hell (I NEVER saw them coming). When a novelist surprises a novelist? That's a hell of a good book.”
—Chris Bohjalian, New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and The Lioness
“Ginder, a former congressional intern and speechwriter for John Podesta whose 2017 book The People We Hate at the Wedding is currently being adapted to film returns with a political romp about a mother whose Senate campaign is derailed when her daughter is photographed destroying a storefront window during a protest in Paris. Imagine a mashup of Veep and The Other Two and you’ll get a sense of this screwball family dramedy.”
—Electric Lit
“It’s a pleasure to find a book that’s genuinely funny, from the names of the businesses mentioned, to the snappy dialogue. But beneath the wit, there’s a warm tale of family ties; of how kin is kin, no matter how crazy-making they might be; and how love lurks beneath the mountain of Harrison drama.”
—The Seattle Times
“A new book from Ginder beckons the reader like a hot bath and glass of something, a reliable and relaxing pleasure. In this timely comic novel set in New York and Paris, a political family deals with drama past and present. Ginder aces the small stuff [and] the big stuff, characteristically insightful on sibling and parent-child relationships. Ooh la la, this book is a shoo-in.”
—Kirkus (starred review)
“Ginder (The People We Hate at the Wedding) delivers an effervescent family drama [that] dexterously describes the machinations of his caffeine-fueled lead and lights up the pages with bubbly, rapid-fire dialogue... it yields devilish hilarity. Politics and blood loyalty can become a slippery slope, but here they’re a perfect combination. This smart and seamless comedy is nonstop fun.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Let's Not Do That Again keeps readers flipping pages compulsively while pushing exciting boundaries. Grant Ginder is not afraid to ask what it means to fight for what's right—for the country you serve, the world at large, and the flawed and impossibly complicated people you are bound to love.”
—Emily Gould, author of Friendship and Perfect Tunes
“Grant Ginder mixes family life and the world of politics so movingly and effectively. I hoped the book would never end.”
—Jennifer Palmieri, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Madam President
“Let’s Not Do That Again combines the wit and hilarity of Ginder's previous work with a deep examination of the confounding world we're finding our way through today. Pour a glass of your favorite bubbly and get ready to savor this important, brilliant novel.”
—Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters and The Lifeguards
“Let’s Not Do That Again is sophisticated, viciously funny (and sometimes just plain vicious—in a nice way!), and, perhaps improbably, at its core, sweetly bighearted. I couldn’t have enjoyed myself more.”
—Benjamin Dreyer, New York Times bestselling author of Dreyer's English
Library Journal
04/09/2022
Nancy Harriman's Senate bid hangs precariously in the balance after her grown daughter, Greta, joins a protest movement in France, and is caught on video throwing a champagne bottle through the window of a bistro. Nancy turns to her son Nick, to manage the damage control. Nick is tired of being at his mother's beck and call. He would rather focus on writing his musical about Joan Didion. Still, he winds up traveling to France to retrieve Greta. As Greta's dubious associations become increasingly worrisome, she has a personal epiphany, while Nancy will resort to any means necessary to salvage her political ambitions. Ginder's (Honestly, We Meant Well) latest effort gets off to a solid start. The writing is sharp, the humor is fresh, and the plot is certainly intriguing. Unfortunately, the characters, though intentionally flawed, are too predictable, banal even. To add insult to injury, the momentum fizzles out in the last quarter of the novel. The story deconstructs spectacularly, ultimately landing with a thud. VERDICT A bit lopsided, but fans of television's Veep may enjoy this political comedy-drama.—Julie Whiteley
SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Susannah Jones narrates the strange story of a political candidate who is running for the Senate and her two adult children who just might derail the whole thing. Candidate Nancy Harrison wakes to discover that her daughter is on the news. As part of a protest group in France, she is throwing a bottle of champagne through a window. Back home, Nancy’s son is writing a musical about the life of Joan Didion, leaving Nancy to try to rescue her daughter from arrest in France while still working to save her own campaign. Jones does an outstanding job of matching the tonal changes in this audiobook. Her ability to capture the deadpan nature of some of the humor makes this an enjoyable but odd listen. V.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2021-12-24
In this timely comic novel set in New York and Paris, a political family deals with drama past and present.
A new book from Ginder beckons the reader like a hot bath and glass of something, a reliable and relaxing pleasure. Here the point of departure is a riot in Paris during which a young American pitches a champagne bottle through the window of a famous restaurant, apparently at the behest of a French right-wing extremist. This is bad news for her mother, Nancy Harrison, who is running for the U.S. Senate from New York. Nancy has been representing her district in the House of Representatives for nearly 20 years, since her husband's death opened the seat, and her hard work, vision, and political instincts have led to this Senate race. Her competition is a Republican television actor "whose most impressive accomplishment was hiding his Botox"—still, beating him won't be easy, especially with these new headlines. Her son, Nick, who's just retired from the stress of working for his mom and is looking forward to getting off benzos and finding a boyfriend, is tapped to fly over and pry sister Greta away from the evil Frenchman. Ginder aces the small stuff: sparkling dialogue, hilarious supporting characters (Greta's roommates!), whimsically named establishments—a doggy day care is BowHaus; a retirement community, Boom Town; a favorite restaurant, Me, Myself, and Thai. Nick is writing a musical based on the work of...Joan Didion. And you know the old saying about a gun in the drawer in the first act? Well, here the gun is a state-of-the-art trash compactor. Keep your eye on that thing. He also aces the big stuff, characteristically insightful on sibling and parent-child relationships and politically on message. As Nancy puts it, "The only option is to fix things, because you're sure as hell not going to leave them for your children looking like this."
Ooh la la. The Senate race may be tight, but this book is a shoo-in.
