Pink Whales

A Novel

By: Sara Shukla

Narrated by: Whitney Dykhouse

Falling in with the cool moms of her preppy New England town might upend one woman’s life, in a sparkling and sharp-witted novel about marriage, escape, and deceptively tidy little lives.

Charlie is already feeling adrift when she relocates to an exclusive town in coastal New England with her mysteriously distant husband, Dev, and their young twins in tow. She hopes the move will recharge her stalled marriage, and she wants her kids to feel like they belong, even if she’s clearly a fish out of water herself. In a strange new world where summer is a verb and both the harbor and the partygoers are awash in a dizzying constellation of pinks and pastels, she’s never felt so confounded or alone. She’ll need more than a preppy handbook to find her way.

Then a trio of power moms—imposing, beautiful, and monogrammed—comes to the rescue, and Charlie clings to their attention like a life raft. As Dev pulls further away, Charlie dives into her newfound friends’ circle of yacht clubs, rivalries, and bizarre theme parties, hoping to find her sea legs. She even dares to cozy up to a hot, barefoot, and aggressively flirty local. But if she’s running from her problems at home, where exactly is she escaping to? Charlie is beginning to wonder. This ridiculous new normal—and her desire to be part of it—might just eat her alive.

©2024 Sara Shukla (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“A satisfying romp through a New England enclave that’s not nearly as idyllic as it seems.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A compulsively hilarious, impressively genuine, and truly memorable fun read from start to finish.” —Midwest Book Review

“Pink Whales is a delicious, hilarious, voicey romp of a novel about Charlie, a wife and mother who doesn’t feel she belongs in her new home in preppy New England. Sara Shukla has an absolutely killer sense of humor, and the voice is pitch perfect. I adored it.” —Annie Hartnett, author of Unlikely Animals and Rabbit Cake

So much more than just a fun beach read

I originally thought this was going to just be about an insecure 30-something joining a country club. This was so much more. Well done.

A waste of time

This was formulaic. I didn’t like any of the characters except for the kids. Predictable in many places. The words of wisdom were hardly that. I kept listening, sure that something amazing would happen. It didn’t.

Entertaining

I enjoyed the book. There were no earth shattering moments but it was a good and steady read. It was entertaining and that’s about it.

A waste of time yes

This book must have been difficult for the narrator to read too. She sound pained throughout this book. Was difficult to listen to - I skipped most of this torture to get to the end.

Boring Read

The story was drawn out and boring. The voice of the reader was not a good match in my opinion.