{"product_id":"the-faculty-lounge-isbn-9780593475416","title":"The Faculty Lounge","description":"\u003cb\u003e**An instant National Bestseller!** \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA July 2024 LibraryReads Pick! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy the acclaimed author of \u003ci\u003eMoxie\u003c\/i\u003e, a funny, bighearted adult debut that is at once an ode to educators, a timely glimpse at today’s pressing school issues, and a tender character study, following a sprawling cast of teachers, administrators, and staff at a Texas high school\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith its ensemble of warm and unforgettable\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003echaracters, \u003ci\u003eThe Faculty Lounge\u003c\/i\u003e shows readers a different side of school life. It all starts when an elderly substitute teacher at Baldwin High School is found dead in the faculty lounge. After a bit of a stir, life quickly returns to normal—it’s not like it’s the worst (or even most interesting) thing that has happened within the building’s walls. But when, a week later, the spontaneous scattering of his ashes on the school grounds catches the attention of some busybody parents, it sets in motion a year that can only be described as wild, bizarre, tragic, mundane, beautiful, and humorous all at once.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the midst of the ensuing hysteria and threats of disciplinary action, the novel peeks into the lives of the implicated adults who, it turns out, actually have first names and continue to exist when the school day is done. We meet: a former punk band front man, now a middle-aged principal who must battle it out with the schoolboard to keep his job; a no-nonsense school nurse willing to break the rules, despite the close watch on their campus, when a student arrives at her office with a dilemma; and a disgruntled English instructor who finds himself embroiled in even more controversy when he misfires a snarky email. Oh, and there’s also a teacher make-out session in a supply closet during a lockdown.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs these people continue to manage the messiness of this school year, there is the looming threat of what will become of their beloved Baldwin High. Ultimately, at the heart of this unconventional workplace novel is a story of the power of human connection and of the joy of finding purpose in what it is we do every day.\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eThe Faculty Lounge \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The witty dialogue will keep readers’ interest, and the social observations are topical and current… highly entertaining and fun”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThis is a hell of a way to start the school year, \u003c\/i\u003eannounces a teacher in the opening pages of Jennifer Mathieu's delightful novel, a celebration of teachers who remain heroically human in nearly impossible times. Likewise, \u003ci\u003eThe Faculty Lounge\u003c\/i\u003e is a hell of a way to announce a major new voice in adult fiction. I loved it.”—\u003cb\u003eSteven Rowley, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Celebrants \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Guncle \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"\u003ci\u003eThe Faculty Lounge\u003c\/i\u003e is painfully incisive and hilariously honest. Jennifer Mathieu takes readers behind the classroom doors, into the hearts and minds of a deeply relatable cast of public school educators who remain delightfully human and singularly courageous in the face of the superhuman expectations placed upon them. An exceptional read.\"—\u003cb\u003eElle Cosimano, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eFinlay Donovan Is Killing It\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Funny, moving, addictive, and oh so real, this book is an absolute love letter to teachers and the teaching profession. Mathieu has indeed given us complete access to the ever-mysterious faculty lounge—that curious place we as students stared at in wonderment of the secret lives of teachers. I adored this book!”\u003cb\u003e—Jenny Torres Sanchez, author of \u003ci\u003eWe Are Not From Here \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Charming and insightful, \u003ci\u003eThe Faculty Lounge\u003c\/i\u003e celebrates the dedicated, though imperfect, people who educate our children, while not shying away from the sometimes horrid and often hilarious aspects of life in an American public high school. This is a workplace comedy with heart.”\u003cb\u003e—Camille Perri, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Assistants \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eWhen Katie Met Cassidy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"As important as teachers are, their lives have been largely absent from popular culture.\u003ci\u003e The Faculty Lounge\u003c\/i\u003e remedies this with a warm, profoundly moving, vividly drawn, and hilarious ode to educators. This book brims to bursting with dignity and love.\"\u003cb\u003e—Jeff Zentner, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Serpent King \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eColton Gentry's Third Act\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"Told with a wry sense of humor... The illustrative vignettes go deeply into the background and circumstances of the characters”\u003cb\u003e—Booklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A moving portrait of the teachers’ and staff members’ humanity and their dedication to the students. This is a winner.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A tenderly observed novel about the teachers and staff who make schools run and make them so special…cozy and affirming”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Seattle Times \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Brimming with hilarious moments and a memorable cast of characters”—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWomen's World \u003c\/i\u003eBook Club\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eJennifer Mathieu\u003c\/b\u003e is the critically acclaimed author of seven novels for young adults including \u003ci\u003eMoxie\u003c\/i\u003e, which is now a major motion picture directed by Amy Poehler (Netflix). Her books have been translated into over twenty languages. A former journalist, Mathieu is a graduate of Northwestern and has been a teacher for nearly twenty years. She lives with her family in Houston.","brand":"Dutton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233662316773,"sku":"NP9780593475416","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593475416.jpg?v=1767739278","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-faculty-lounge-isbn-9780593475416","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}