Introduction

Eighty-four seconds on TV can change your life. Or destroy it. Josie Nickels is an Emmy-winning news anchor, poised to rise through the ranks of television journalism. But on a bitter March evening on live television, the pressures and secrets burbling behind closed doors of her ridiculous Victorian mansion explode. And the overwhelmed journalist spills family secrets like a Baptist at altar call. The aftermath costs her much more than a career. It robs her of a beloved son—a preppy, educated millennial trapped in the deadly world of addiction. Addiction that began after a common surgery. Desperate for a new start and a way to save her son, Josie packs up her pride, her young daughter, and accepts a new job slinging cosmetics at a department store make-up counter with other disgraced celebs. In the gorgeous mountains of Asheville N.C., known for hippies, healings, and Subarus, Josie is faced with a choice: Take a chance on a bold, out-of-the-ordinary treatment plan for her son. Or lose him forever. This heart-wrenching and, at times, hilarious novel, will delight fans of book-club women’s fiction. And inspire and give hope to those with addicted sons and daughters. THE BEAUTIFUL MISFITS is an emotional yet uplifting ride through a world of fierce love, store-bought beauty, and wonder.

Editorial Review

No Editorial Review Currently Available

Excerpt

In ten minutes, Josette Nickels would go live with the day’s news, just as she’d done every evening without incident for the past twenty years.
Atlanta loved her, viewers trusted her, and no matter the mayhem churning behind the closed doors of her ridiculous Victorian Gothic, she’d always separated her career from the scandals.
Such was the way of Southern women who’d grown up with duplicitous mothers keen on parceling affection. Hadn’t Josie learned from the best how to live as two? As a woman who was perfect. And another who was not. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

Questions from the author
1. Discuss the events that led to Josie’s on-air breakdown. Did these events and situations merit her meltdown on live television? Had she just reached her limit with Finley and Frank?

2. How did you feel about Josie’s handling of her son’s addictions? Should she have tried harder or stopped enabling sooner? Is every son or daughter different when it comes to how to handle their addictions?

3. How did the scenes at the cosmetic’s counters balance the drama swirling around Josie’s life? Which characters at Brigman’s had the biggest influence on her and why?

4. Discuss the slow-burn romance between Josie and Pog and how his wanting her to be part of the Vintage Crazy Rehab and Resort shaped their relationship.

5.How did you feel about the big twist and the ending the novel on the island of St. John. Did the island’s destruction and recovery mirror that of Finley’s?

6. How would you handle addiction if it was this close and personal in your own family? What did you think of the utopic rehab center?

Weblinks

»	Author's website
»	Publisher's book info

Book Club Recommendations

Recommended to book clubs by 0 of 0 members.

Member Reviews

There are no user reviews at this time.
Rate this book