{"product_id":"2940170456888","title":"Cheer Up, Mr. Widdicombe: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom a bright new voice in contemporary fiction comes a hilarious and sophisticated comedy of manners about a delightfully eccentric family and the absurd happenings that befall them during one frenzied summer at their home in the Pacific Northwest.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe inimitable amp;mdash; some might say incorrigible amp;mdash; Frank Widdicombe is suffering from a deep depression. Or so his wife, Carol, believes. But Carol is convinced that their new island home amp;mdash; Willowbrook Manor on the Puget Sound amp;mdash; is just the thing to cheer her husband up. And so begins a whirlwind summer as their house becomes the epicenter of multiple social dramas involving the family, their friends, and a host of new acquaintances.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Widdicombes¿ son, Christopher, is mourning a heartbreak after a year abroad in Italy. Their personal assistant, Michelle, begins a romance with preppy screenwriter Bradford, who also happens to be Frank¿s tennis partner. Meanwhile, a local named Marvelous Matthews is hired to create a garden at the manor amp;mdash; and is elated to find Gracie Sloane, bewitching self-help author, in residence as well. When this alternately bumbling and clever cast of characters comes together, Willowbrook transforms into a circus of uncovered secrets, preposterous misunderstandings, and irrepressible passions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten in a singularly witty and satirical style, \u003ci\u003eCheer Up, Mr. Widdicombe\u003c\/i\u003e is perfect for fans of Maria Semple's \u003ci\u003eWhere'd You Go, Bernadette?\u003c\/i\u003e, Andrew Sean Greer's \u003ci\u003eLess\u003c\/i\u003e, and Jess Walter's \u003ci\u003eBeautiful Ruins\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47099922612464,"sku":"2940170456888","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940170456888_p0.jpg?v=1763804583","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940170456888","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}