Rachel to the Rescue

by Elinor Lipman

Overview

“Readers who are hungry for heartwarming comedy and spicy D.C. gossip will find Lipman’s new novel absolutely delicious.”—New York Times Book Review  

A mischievous political satire, with a delightful cast of characters, from one of America’s funniest novelists.

Rachel Klein is sacked from her job at the White House after she sends an email criticizing Donald Trump. As she is escorted off the premises she is hit by a speeding car, driven by what the press will discreetly call "a personal friend of the President." Does that explain the flowers, the get-well wishes at a press briefing, the hush money offered by a lawyer at her hospital bedside? Rachel’s recovery is soothed by comically doting parents, matchmaking room-mates, a new job as aide to a journalist whose books aim to defame the President, and unexpected love at the local wine store. But secrets leak, and Rachel’s new-found happiness has to make room for more than a little chaos. Will she bring down the President? Or will he manage to do that all by himself? 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358653233
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/27/2021
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	322,785
File size:	486 KB

About the Author

Elinor Lipman is the award-winning author of sixteen books of fiction and nonfiction, including The Inn at Lake Devine, Isabel’s Bed, I Can’t Complain: (All Too) Personal Essays, On Turpentine Lane, Rachel to the Rescue, and Ms. Demeanor. Her first novel, Then She Found Me, was adapted into a film directed by and starring Helen Hunt, with Bette Midler, Colin Firth, and Matthew Broderick. Lipman was the 2011–12 Elizabeth Drew Professor of Creative Writing at Smith College and divides her time between Manhattan and the Hudson Valley.

Hometown:

Northampton, Massachusetts, and New York, New York

Date of Birth:

October 16, 1950

Place of Birth:

Lowell, Massachusetts

Education:

A.B., Simmons College, 1972; Honorary Doctor of Letters, Simmons College, 2000

Editorial Reviews

05/17/2021

Lipman (Good Riddance) takes a satirical, strange, and erratic ramble through the Trump presidency. In Washington, D.C., 20-something Rachel Klein, daughter of doting, paint store–owning parents, lands a job in records management at the White House, which consists mainly of taping back together memos ripped up by Trump, the “shredder-in-chief.” An email Rachel sends complaining about the president gets her fired. Then she’s hit by a car, and while recovering in the hospital, she learns from a BuzzFeed article that the driver was Veronica Hyde-White, Trump’s optometrist. Rachel then takes a job doing research for “muckraker” author Kirby Champion, who is writing a book about Trump, and learns about a bizarre love quadrangle involving Veronica; Veronica’s husband, Simon; Simon’s real estate agent lover; and the president. The light, playful tone makes for an odd juxtaposition with the political satire (“It was bad enough getting knocked unconscious by a speeding car, but why did it have to be driven by a woman who was having sex with the president of the United States?”). Readers may get a kick out of the wild romp, but those for whom the Trump term felt darker than fodder for frothy fiction may want to look elsewhere. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"[Lipman] has long been one of our wittiest chroniclers of modern-day romance. [Her] writing is brisk and intelligent, and if the plot of this novel is zanier than her usual fare, that too may show just how plugged-in she is to out farfetched times." —Wall Street Journal on Good Riddance


“Lipman is the easiest writer to read, but she stays with you because she’s such a good writer…A true pleasure…[She] is such a fine stylist…[Good Riddance] is hilarious, [with] wonderful romantic elements [and] a witty line on every page, in every paragraph.”—Bill Goldstein, NBC’s “Bill’s Books” on Good Riddance
 


"A clever romantic comedy from a pro . . . The rollicking plot ultimately leads to romance, revealing this witty story’s warm and fuzzy heart."—People on Good Riddance


“When there's already too much darkness in the world and a cheering respite is in order, we can all be glad for Elinor Lipman's On Turpentine Lane, a romantic comedy with just enough sly wit to keep it from turning sugary...We can trust that like her foremothers Jane Austen and Laurie Colwin, Lipman will find a way to make the world right for her heroine. Would that she could do so for the rest of us!”—O, The Oprah Magazine on On Turpentine Lane


"A new Elinor Lipman novel is always a cause for celebration. And her newest will not disappoint: the story of 32-year-old Faith Frankel, who returns to her suburban hometown, where she takes a job as a professional thank you note writer for her alma mater and buys a charming bungalow home. Little does she know, the house might contain some secrets. On Turpentine Lane is another pitch-perfect, delightful romantic comedy from the beloved author of The Inn at Lake Devine."—PopSugar, "Out Favorite Books of the Year" on On Turpentine Lane


"An enchanting, infinitely witty yet serious, exceptionally intelligent, wholly original, and Austen-like stylist" —Washington Post

From the Publisher

06/01/2021

Rachel Klein isn't a Trump supporter, but she accepts an entry-level job in the White House, rationalizing that her work can transcend his administration. Then she finds herself upholding the Presidential Records Act by taping together bits of paper all day. The president seems unable to stop ripping up papers when he's done with them, and the documents must be preserved. After a few drinks one evening, Rachel writes an email that's critical of Trump and accidentally sends it to all her coworkers. When she can't get past security at work the next morning, she realizes her error and in a daze walks across the street, where she's hit by a car driven by a friend of the president. The accident makes the national news, and Rachel's new infamy lands her a job assisting political muckraker Kirby Champion, leading to several comical and cringe-worthy moments. VERDICT Taking place before the 2020 election and ending during the pandemic, this political satire, with a millennial protagonist and endearing supporting cast, is funny and entertaining, with a happily-ever-after.—Melissa DeWild, Comstock Park, MI

Library Journal