Mary Jane

Mary Jane
Jessica Anya Blau
Our Price:
NZ$ 29.99
Paperback
h203 x 135mm - 336pg
28 Apr 2022 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9780063052307
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
"I LOVED this novel. . . . If you have ever sung along to a hit on the radio, in any decade, then you will devour Mary Jane at 45 rpm. " -Nick HornbyAlmost Famous meets Daisy Jones & The Six in this funny, wise, and tender novel about a fourteen-year-old girl' s coming of age in 1970s Baltimore, caught between her straight-laced family and the progressive family she nannies for-who happen to be secretly hiding a famous rock star and his movie star wife for the summer. In 1970s Baltimore, fourteen-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother, singing in her church choir, and enjoying her family' s subscription to the Broadway Showtunes of the Month record club. Shy, quiet, and bookish, she' s glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor. A respectable job, Mary Jane' s mother says. In a respectable house. The house may look respectable on the outside, but inside it' s a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface, Impeachment: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors, cereal and takeout for dinner. And even more troublesome (were Mary Jane' s mother to know, which she does not): the doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job-helping a famous rock star dry out. A week after Mary Jane starts, the rock star and his movie star wife move in. Over the course of the summer, Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule, and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (not to mention group therapy). Caught between the lifestyle she' s always known and the future she' s only just realized is possible, Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life, and what kind of person she' s going to be.
"I LOVED Jessica Anya Blau' s novel. Mary Jane is about an oppressed teenager being given a jolt of life and joy by an eccentric found family of therapists, a child, a rock star and a movie star in the 1970s. . . . If you have ever sung along to a hit on the radio, in any decade, then you will devour Mary Jane at 45rpm. " -- Nick Hornby "I dare you to find a more winning novel than Jessica Anya Blau' s Mary Jane. Filled with humor and sharpness and so much light, this book introduces an amazing cast of characters, all so unique and finely observed, held together by the clarity of Mary Jane' s voice. It evokes those rare moments when your world is on the precipice of change, almost a dream, and how thrilling it is to push your way toward something new. " -- Kevin Wilson "MARY JANE is that rare thing: An utterly charming, absurdly delightful novel that also makes you think deeply about the world around you. Jessica Anya Blau' s clear-eyed wit reminded me of Curtis Sittenfeld and Laurie Colwin, and, of course, Jane Austen. " -- Joanna Rakoff, author of My Salinger Year "The experience of reading Jessica Anya Blau' s Mary Jane is a lot like eating quality candy: super enjoyable, crazy good. I am sad to have finished it. " -- Marcy Dermansky "Blau' s intelligent, witty novel captures the essence of the ' 70s with humor and immensely appealing characters. Highly recommended. " -- Library Journal (starred review) "Blau' s coming-of-age charmer will hit all of the nostalgia notes. " -- Parade "A charming and poignant tale of desire, image, Americana, and chosen family. " -- Booklist "This novel is a week at the beach with rock stars, it' s a three-part harmony at a kitchen table, it' s finding a family where you fit in. Jessica Anya Blau is a smart, generous, sensitive storyteller, and Mary Jane is a loving, sexy, funny, and beautiful book. " -- Gabriel Brownstein, author of The Open Heart Club "Jessica Anya Blau is one of the funniest writers--EVER. No one captures the oddities, joys --and yes--the pain--of modern life with such frankness, humor and sly-witted style. " -- ZZ Packer, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere "Both poignant and tremendously funny. . . unendingly charming and fun. " -- Shelf Awareness
Jessica Anya Blau is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Johns Hopkins University, where she received her masters in fiction and where she currently lectures and teaches Creative Writing. In 2005, she was chosen the Tennessee Williams Scholar at Sewanee Writer' s Conference. Her stories have appeared in The Sun Magazine, The First Line, Washington Square Magazine, Santa Barbara Independent and many more notable publications. She is the author of one previous novel, ' The Summer of Naked Swim Parties' .
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9780063052307
Published: 28 Apr 2022
Published In: United States
Imprint: Mariner Books
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Format: Paperback
Height: 203mm
Width: 135mm
Spine: 19mm
Weight: 239g
Pages: 336

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information