Charlie hates his life. He hates his job as a news writer working the graveyard shift, he hates his father, he even hates the men he’s been having unsafe sex with. He’s entertained suicide but he lacks concrete plans and follow-through.
But his life changes with the zaniest job interview of his life, to be the personal assistant to Kathi Kannon, iconic star of a classic sci-fi movie, best-selling author, and member of Hollywood royalty—her mother, famed actress Gracie Gold, lives on her estate. Kathi is also a (sometimes recovering) drug addict who has manic episodes.
The job becomes all-consuming for Charlie, a stressful yet immensely satisfying adventure once he gets the hang of it. Kathi is needy and demanding and erratic and is, at times, a danger to herself and her reputation, but she truly cares about Charlie and helps him find his self-esteem.
Between spontaneous trips to go see the aurora borealis and rescuing her from embarrassing faux pas with other celebs, Charlie gets immersed in the world of the celebrity assistant, learning the summits and pitfalls that his compatriots have experienced.
When you spend your whole life propping someone up and being at their beck and call, when do you live? Are your needs ever front and center? Charlie has to decide what path he should take in order to find real satisfaction.
This is a zany, wild, heartfelt book. Byron Lane was Carrie Fisher’s assistant so you know he knows of what he writes—and you can’t help but wonder just how much of Kathi’s behavior was inspired by true events. (I adored Carrie Fisher so I was hooked.)
After a while, Kathi’s manic nature gets a little hard to take, but that’s when the heart of the book kicked in. This was a fun read if you’re a fan of the crazy lives of celebrities.
NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company provided an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!
The book publishes July 28.
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