Jessie Gaynor's first novel, The Glow, proves just how far people will go to make their skin luminous. Jane Dorner, a young publicist, stumbles upon the FortPath wellness retreat (while trying to save her job) and decides the extraordinarily beautiful woman on its website will be her next big client. Tom, FortPath's co-owner, greets Jane as she steps out of the cab for her comped weekend stay at the farm. But she's really there for Cass. Cass, Tom's wife and the face of FortPath, is both the most beautiful woman Jane has ever seen and the most enigmatic. Living mostly off zucchini, bee pollen, and daily meditation, Cass captivates Jane with her radiance, especially the glow of her skin. Becoming somewhat obsessed with her new--and ever so slightly cultish--wellness community, Jane is determined to capitalize off whatever it is that Cass is selling. But Tom is hesitant about Jane's business advances.
Perpetually entertaining and captivatingly funny, The Glow is a deep dive into what makes the wellness industry so fascinating. Jane's struggles with debt, uncertainty, and morality pack her inner musings with wit. Cass, on the other hand, answers all of life's questions with a natural remedy or an Instagrammable inspirational quote. Gaynor's debut is successfully charming and satirical--and utterly delightful. But it also interrogates the question: Is a lifetime subscription to the health-and-wellness lifestyle sustainable, or just a product to sell to women who will do anything to obtain the glowing complexions of their dreams? --Clara Newton, freelance reviewer