Helen of Pasadena

by Lian Dolan

A Los Angeles Times Bestseller

A witty, timely and richly entertaining tale of a modern mother in transition, from the author of The Sweeney Sisters
Helen Fairchild is leading a privileged Pasadena married to a pillar of the community; raising a water polo-playing son destined for the most select high school; volunteering her time on the most fashionable committees. It only bothers Helen a tiny bit that she has never quite fit in with the proper Pasadena crowd, never finished that graduate degree in Classics, and never had that second baby. But the rigid rules of society in Pasadena appeal to Helen, the daughter of Oregon fiber artists, even if she'll never be on the inside.

And then along comes a Rose Parade float, killing her philandering husband and leaving Helen broke, out of her “forever" house, and scrambling to salvage her once-rarefied existence. Enter Patrick O'Neill, excavator of Troy and wearer of nubby sweaters. A job as Dr. O'Neill's research assistant is the lifeline Helen needs to reinvent herself. Ancient mysteries to solve! Charity events to plan! School admissions advisors to charm! If Helen wasn’t so distracted by her incredibly attractive boss, she might be able to pull off this new life.

Helen's world widens to include a Hollywood star, a gossip columnist, an old college nemesis, a high-powered Neutron Mom, an unforgiving school headmistress, the best Armenian real estate agent in the biz, and, of course, the intriguing Patrick O'Neill. While uncovering secrets about ancient Troy alongside her archaeologist boss, Helen discovers something much a new sense of self and a new love.

With its keen social observations, laugh-out-loud scenes and whip-smart dialogue, Helen of Pasadena delivers humor, insight, and wisdom on reinventing yourself.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Book Club, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Humor

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Lian Dolan is a podcaster, producer and writer. She is the creator, producer and host of Satellite Sisters, the award-winning podcast she created with her four real sisters. Satellite Sisters began life as a syndicated radio show in 2000 and has been a top-rated podcast since 2009. Satellite Sisters has won 13 Gracie Allen Awards for Excellence in Women’s Media and been featured on The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Oprah Winfrey Show. In 2017, Lian was given the Podcast Pioneer Award by Women in Podcasting.

She is the author of four best-selling novels, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife. Her latest book, Lost and Found in Paris, is out now and is an LA Times Bestseller. She has written regular columns for Pasadena Magazine, O Magazine and Working Mother Magazine.

Lian graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband, Berick Treidler. She has two adult sons and a senior German shepherd.

Reviews

[Bridgid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate-read this one. It is meant to be a satirical romance, but it fails on both attempts. Helen is a flawed character, but leaves this reader unsympathetic. She abandons her own sense of self for a man, and then her child, yet fails to see the fractures in her relationships. Pasadena is parodied, while there are some very wealthy residents, they are only a fraction of the population. And why is CalTech hardly mentioned? Helen and her girlfriends are judgmental and snarky hypocrites, but I guess sloppy snark is easier than thoughtful satire? BTW, in the end Helen moves to my neighborhood. Welcome?

[Jayne Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This backlist from one of my favorite authors was a fun one! The premise-a woman who is a part of the upper crust of Pasadena has the rug pulled out from under her when her husband dies suddenly, leaving a mess behind. As she and her son navigate their new circumstances, she rediscovers her love of archaeology when she gets a job as a research assistant to a famous archeologist. My one complaint is that, if you’re looking for body positivity, you won’t find it here. Not sure if that’s a factor of the book being 15 years old or something else, but otherwise it was a good time!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a light and fun book about a Pasadena widow whose philandering husband left her and their middle-school-aged son with nothing but debt after his untimely demise.

I know, that doesn't sound light and fun. But the cast of characters made me smile and chuckle the whole way through.

My only quibble is that the only "bad guy" is the dead guy. All of Helen's SuperMom friends are smart, savvy and thin. All of the children are smart, talented and well-behaved. Even those who make things slightly difficult for Helen realize in the end how awesome she is.

Will Helen create a new life for herself and her son and make it work? Well, of course she will. She'll also score the only bachelor in town in the process. He's also perfect, by the way.

And normally I'd eyeroll at all of that, but this book was so smartly-written that I enjoyed it all and am looking forward to Lian Dolan's next project.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have listened to Lian on the radio with her sisters, on the Satellite Sisters podcast and on her stand-alone podcast Chaos Chronicles and as others have said, it's hard not to give this book's protagonist (Helen) Lian's voice and experience. From volunteerism to being a boy-mom, to having to budget when the economy was rough, to walking around the Rose Bowl, to marrying a Pasadena boy, to studying the classics, to Korean Day Spas to paninis even, this is a "write what you know" book. I am not sure I would have enjoyed this story as much if I hadn't "known" the author but, enjoy it I did! . It makes me wonder if Jane Austin had a podcast, would I be forming such intimate comparisons in her chick-lit classics to Austin's real life?
Thanks for the grand tour of Pasadena, Lian. I enjoyed the ride.

[Esther Bradley-detally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romp through a segment of life I don't participate in but am aware of. Funny and very good when you are feeling under the weather, and need to tromp through giggles and follies and foibles, and some right on perceptions about a city, it's private schools. I had no idea people spent $300 for haircuts. Know people who grew up in that environment and breaking away. It's insular, but the author doesn't condemn, but shows the quirkiness and humaneness of us all.

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Another of those books that nearly made it to really liked it, but fell just a bit short. I loved the story of Helen's remaking of herself, after her rotten husband died leaving her with no money, no job and a son to take care of. They were just starting a displaced homemaker's course in the B.O.C.E.S. where I taught GED classes when we moved away from Ithaca (New York) - I think it would have been a very different type of woman using the services though, somehow! If the mothers in the school (and Helen's MIL - yikes) hadn't been quite so OTT I'd have been happier.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this. I liked seeing Helen figure out her life. I liked her friends and her job and most characters got JUST the right amount of depth, which was really nice.

And Candy needs a story! I liked her in Elizabeth the First Wife, so it was great to see her in a bigger role in this book (which actually came first).

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 star chic- lit, reflecting life in part of my community. If this book were a chocolate milkshake, I have gotten an ice cream headache from devouring it so fast. Great insight into using your internal voice for many thoughts, like navigating school politics and the required boundary between being friends with your kids and parenting them.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit fluffy and predictable with characters that seemed for the most part pretty superficial to me. It was more of a Hallmark Movie kind of book than I really enjoy. There was some enjoyable humor and I learned a little about the Huntington Museum that I didn't know. But not much else to rescue the book for me.

[Melissa Mortenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read! Thanks Taylor!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Warning, there are some F words which is why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I recently started listening to the Satellite Sisters podcast which is how I learned of Lian Dolan. I love her sense of humor and writing style.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. The first 50 pages were entertaining enough--the snarky observations and satirical tone, the absurdity of death by Rose Parade float, and so forth. I love Pasadena and miss Pasadena, so that part was fun. I never mingled with the Wealthy Beautiful People (women) who so skillfully married, but I saw them from afar or served their kids at the restaurant where I worked. But boy, this book dragged. The telling of life stories of every character to walk into a wine bar or club or school parking lot--ugh, it was exactly as fun as listening to someone go on and on in excruciating detail about people you neither know nor care about. The Indiana Jones-esque love interest's big fat obsession and love for Helen was weird. I mean, WHY? What did she offer, REALLY? She was vapid, shallow, uninteresting. Their interactions were always so unbalanced--dude held the power, always. A 2.5.

[Caroline P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I live in Pasadena, (thankfully on the periphery of Helen's world) but I've been here long enough to confirm that Lian Dolan has NAILED our town and its cast of characters. I literally laughed out loud multiple times. I'm also amazed at Dolan's talent for articulating Helen's inner thoughts so perfectly. No matter where you live, you'll get a kick out of recognizing those people that are "players" in all of our lives. A fun, smart and funny read! Didn't want it to end!

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helen's husband Merritt tells her some tragic news, then goes and gets himself killed by a panda. How does Helen rebound from both of these horrible situations? Living in status conscious Pasedena doesn't make things any easier.

While quite predictable (Helen is able to easily sell her house, lands a job where she meets the man of her dreams, and her mother-in-law doesn't turn out to be quite as evil as it seems), it's a pleasant, light read.

[Claire Handscombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is what qualifies as "upmarket commercial women's fiction" - or so I'm telling myself, since "I don't read chick lit".The perfect book for travelling and post travel jetlag - in many ways predictable (with the exception of one subplot twist which massively stretched believability) and cheesy in places but fun - and better written and more intelligent than a lot of chick lit. Certainly did not expect to cry!

[Dete Meserve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, great character, loved the writing style, especially fun if you live in Southern California and/or around Pasadena.

This is a story about a mom who goes back to work after her philandering husband dies. I had a hard time with the new love interest storyline as he seemed largely self-absorbed and intellectually interesting but emotionally distant. It seemed like she primarily wanted that relationship in order to make her girlfriends jealous and to gain new status in the community.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy, light read. I like the author's style of writing and her sense of humor. I enjoyed the plot although predictable. Despite a few inaccuracies, i enjoyed all the references to my home town of Pasadena. I would recommend this book and plan to read her new book, "The First Wife" which actually came out today on iBooks!

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, charming, entertaining... and did I say funny? Lian Dolan hilariously sends up modern upper-middle-class society in this saga of a Pasadena mom whose life gets turned upside down. Women's fiction at its smartest and finest.

[Nora Greaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely humorous, engaging, fun chick lit. having grown up (the second half of my childhood) in Pasadena I loved all the tie-ins...Rose Queens, restaurants, the Huntington...awesome. perfect weekend read. looking forward to the trilogy!

[Kim Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lian Dolan's Helen of Pasadena is a light hearted story told with humor. I enjoyed the characters (well written) and the storyline (perfect pitch of real and over the top). if you are looking for uncomplicated and fun, then this one's for you. Three and a half stars and well recommended.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy and fun read (and is a "must read" if you live in or around Pasadena)!

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of amazing. Super accurate, and critical without being mean.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit it...I liked it a lot.
Older characters, smart, funny, refreshing.
Wish she would write more.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your standard romance

and you'll be glad. I haven't read the author's biography, but she has to be from Pasadena. I enjoyed every minute of this book.

[Maryemce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chick lit.

I read the Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan and loved it. I enjoyed this but it was not my favorite. I thought it was pretty predictable.

[Linda Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Lian Dolan is my kind of author. In Helen of Pasadena, released in 2010, she creates a woman on edge. Her uber-wealthy husband has just died after being run over by a Tournament of Roses parade float; that morning, she discovers said hubs was leaving her for a sleazy TV reporter, he dies bankrupt, and her son is going through a difficult teenage phase. Helen, the lead protagonist, knows her once cushy life will now be difficult, and nothing will ever be the same. So yes, she’s on edge; she’s on the edge of being homeless, penniless, and worst of all, a social outcast. But the plucky Helen figures a way to turn her life around, and it is in the journey that we enjoy this solid story. Helen of Pasadena is a well-paced and delightful read. I only wish Ms. Dolan would write more stories. Fortunately, her next book Lost and Found in Paris will be released Spring 2022. I have already pre-ordered my copy. #helenoftroy @liandolan #romance #archaeology #ridingfromruin #zerotohero #witty #endearing #helenofpasadena
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[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helen, the wife of a wealthy Pasadena attorney, learns that her husband has unexpectedly passed away as a result of being run over by a Rose Parade float. Normally this would be devastating, but the evening before Helen learned that her husband planned to leave her to marry a younger news journalist. In the aftermath of her husband's death, Helen learns that he had been playing loose with their money and that, actually, Helen now needed to get a job and sell her "forever home" just to stay afloat to keep her son in his wealthy private school. A friend encourages her to get a job at the Huntington, since she has an "in" with her extensive volunteering and they give her a temporary position as a research assistant to a visiting archaeologist, who happens to be devastatingly good looking. Can Helen prove her worth as a worker? Will she be able to admit to herself her feelings for the archaeologist?

I got this book free from the Altadena summer reading program. To be honest, I was not expecting much from the book, but I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it. It was a very light story and it was fun to have the tie-ins to Pasadena, a nearby city that I know fairly well.

[Katie Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helen of Pasadena is a novel by Lian Dolans , it is a romantic and funny story . It is a novel that is humorous and also sad at times. Lian Dolan shows the reader Helen's life changing story in ways that are relatable and cheering. She makes an entertaining story about starting over after a tough loss.

Helen of Pasadena is about a mom whose life falls apart when her husband leaves her for another girl and then gets tragically hit by a bus moments after. Helen now has to live a single life and has to find a job to take care of her son and cope with the grief of her husband.This book is enjoyable and exciting, Helen the main character is relatable and stays strong throughout the tough times.

In my opinion Helen of Pasadena is a humorous, wholehearted book that gives a message that is to rebuild after it all falls apart. Helens journey is showing that you can do anything and when times are hard to not give up . This book was inspirational and shows growth and it leaves a hopeful message.

[Susan Test · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a total loser for not having read this book sooner! Working for a publishing company means that I spend many days reading the books our company publishes - which doesn't leave a lot of time or interest in recreational reading! I'm so glad I had the time on a recent car trip to devour Helen of Pasadena! It's such a fun and interesting read. Lian Dolan catches your attention right away with thorough descriptions of the characters and their settings. This was the perfect pre-trip to California read. I can't wait to join the ladies of Pasadena for a walk around the stadium! And, thanks to HOP I know exactly what to wear!

I highly recommend that you gobble up Helen of Pasadena and then move on to Lian's other book, Elizabeth, the First Wife. Lian's next novel, "The Sweeney Sisters" has just been announced for April of 2020 - pre-orders are being accepted now on Amazon. Run, don't walk to order your copy today!

[Linda Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started it, because a neighbor had put it in a pile of books in the alley and it was free and I needed something to read. It took me about three pages to realize I was actually enjoying the book. It is sort of a romance novel, but EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN, and I've not ever read a romance novel per se, and I may be wrong, but I think that's what this is. Very humorous, and because I am a frustrated archaeologist (what I wanted to be from age five on, until I finally got to squat down by an Mound in Ohio, and I actually dug up a skull, and decided that squatting in the sun wasn't my thing, not really). Dolan is a good writer, I guess she is very well known though not to me, and has a podcast and other ways of reaching hundreds of thousands of readers. So I guess I might be jealous a little, because my own graphic novel, Rowena Sunder, Artist in New York, certainly won't ever have that many readers. I would say that the cover was enough to put me off, but hey, I was desperate for something to read in this lockdown period. The cover really really looks like a romance novel to me. I'm so glad it was much much more.
~ Linda Campbell Franklin