The Celebrants
It’s been a minute—or five years—since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and twenty-eight years since their graduation from Berkeley when their adult lives officially began. Now Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle find themselves at the brink of a new decade, with all the responsibilities and obligations of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. That’s not for a lack of trying. Over the years they reunited periodically in Big Sur to honor a decades old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living—and living well.
But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they had to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died, or to intervene when Craig plead guilty to art fraud. Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact, as each friend is forced to weigh their middle-aged lives against the idealistic dreams of youth.
A deeply honest tribute to the growing pains of selfhood and the people who keep us going, coupled with Steven Rowley’s signature humor and heart, The Celebrants is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth, and all the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living.
An Instant NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A TODAY Show Read With Jenna Book Club Pick
An Indie Next Pick
A Library Reads Hall of Fame Pick
An EW Best New Book for Spring
A Washington Post Noteworthy Book for May
“A superbly crafted narrative... Beautifully written and culminating in a phenomenally well-realized concluding set-piece, Rowley’s tale wonderfully captures how deeply important friendships are. This is a life-affirming work, one that is both hilarious and richly affecting, with an unforgettable cast of engaging characters that readers will wish they could spend more time with.”
“The Celebrants is very much about being alive. It’s marketed as a modern-day Big Chill, but it’s stirred together with a streak of Gen X independence, a pour of wry humor, some St. Elmo’s Fire feels and a loud reminder to live boldly.”
“Rowley offers another winning story. Genuinely heartfelt. For anyone needing a reminder about the importance of friendships, this will more than do the trick.”
“Rowley’s novels deftly oscillate between tear-jerker and knee-slapper, books that brim with all of life’s big and small emotions, and his latest is no exception. It might just be his best yet.”
“Steven Rowley is an auto-buy, and his latest novel, The Celebrants, is a testament to his trademark humor and grace. A thoughtful, heartbreaking, funny novel about love, marriage, grief, and friendship.”
“What can stave off the fear of death, or rescue you from one of life’s less fatal heartbreaks? Steven Rowley, ever warm and witty, offers up lifelong friendship, and I am inclined to believe him.”
“The Celebrants made me laugh and cry... and make some overdue phone calls to old friends. A timely examination of why connections matter and a powerful ode to friendship. ”
“A tender, funny, bittersweet exploration of friendship, family, joy, grief, and what it means to be alive. I loved everything about it.”