The Glow

Gaynor, a senior editor at LitHub, debuts with a witty send-up of wellness culture and the perils of transforming people into brands. Jane, a 29-year-old PR manager, is losing her enthusiasm for pitching ridiculous products. She’s also recently been dumped, and a six-figure medical bill from a bout of appendicitis adds to her existential spiral. Desperate for something to sell, she stumbles on an Instagram account for a weekend retreat called FortPath, led by an enigmatic and gorgeous woman named Cass. Held at a dilapidated farmhouse in New Jersey, FortPath is about what one would expect: the kind of place where people “spoke frankly about their bowels” and engage in (literally) masturbatory meditation sessions. But Cass is a magnetic presence, and everyone there buys what she sells—including her husband, Tom. Jane is a bit more skeptical, but, having been let go from her day job, she sees Cass as “a golden goose” and sets out to turn her into a star. Though the narrative idles a bit too much in exposition and backstory mode, there’s an amusing story in here about the pitfalls of idol worship. With pithy and poignant observations about the costs of treating people like products, Gaynor makes this shine. (June)