Mr. and Mrs. American Pie: The Inspiration for Palm Royale Seasons One and Two - by Juliet McDaniel (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"A gorgeously messy and misguided heroine. I love this story."--Laura Dern

"The perfect blend of salty and sweet."--Booklist (starred review)

"Hilarious."--Refinery29

The year is 1969. Dick Nixon was just sworn in as the thirty-seventh President of the United States. Neil Armstrong just took one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. And notable Palm Springs socialite Maxine Simmons just found out that her husband is leaving her for his twenty-two-year-old secretary.

After a public meltdown at Thanksgiving, Maxine finds herself not only divorced but exiled to Scottsdale, Arizona. However, these desert boondocks will not be her end--only her Elba. The former beauty queen sets her eyes on a new crown: that of the Mrs. American Pie pageant, awarded to the nation's best wife and mother.

Maxine only has one problem: to win the crown she'll need to find--or build--a family of her own.

Review Quotes

"McDaniel's debut is the perfect blend of salty and sweet, combining 1970s culinary horrors like ham and bananas hollandaise with a motley crew of fakers learning what family really means." --Booklist (starred review)

"A gorgeously messy and misguided heroine. I love this story." --Laura Dern

"Mr. & Mrs. American Pie is nonstop fun from start to finish." --HelloGiggles

"Juliet McDaniel's debut novel is hilarious." --Refinery29

"A laugh-out-loud story starring a offbeat heroine you won't soon forget, Mr. & Mrs. American Pie is the comic relief you've been waiting for." --Bustle

"Juicy and kooky--I loved it." --Cat Marnell, author of How to Murder Your Life

"McDaniel has a winner with her wittily titled debut. Mr. & Mrs. American Pie mixes a riotous 1969 California with a story that speaks to today's Time's Up movement." --Andy Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter

"Driven by three unforgettable characters, Mr. & Mrs. American Pie isn't just a fast-paced romp about an American beauty pageant--it's a treatise on class, gender, politics, the power of perseverance, and what it means to be family." --Sarah Nivala, Book Soup

"A hilarious and thought-provoking satire with as much heart as bite. For fans of Maria Semple and Helen Ellis with a dash of Carl Hiaasen's humor." --Becky Spratford, Librarian (RA for All)

"This is the type of relentlessly entertaining, deeply kind novel that will appeal to fans of Maria Semple and Jami Attenberg." --Magan Szwarek, Librarian (STDL)