The Celebrants
A Novel
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The Celebrants
Buy Now for $26.22
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Narrated by:
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Steven Rowley
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Written by:
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Steven Rowley
About this listen
New York Times Bestseller
A TODAY Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick
A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises—especially to ourselves—by the bestselling and beloved author of The Guncle.
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 of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. Though not for a lack of trying. Over the years they’ve reunited in Big Sur to honor a decades-old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living—that their lives mean something, to one another if not to themselves.
But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they were to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died, or to intervene when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud. This time, Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact.
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 the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living.
What the critics say
A Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick
An Indie Next List Pick
A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick
One of The New York Times Book Review Summer Books 2023
One of Buzzfeed’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books of 2023
One of Electric Lit’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books of Spring 2023
One of Nerd Daily’s Most Anticipated Books of 2023
One of Entertainment Weekly’s Best New Books for Spring
One of Real Simple’s Must-Read Books of Summer
One of Today.com's Most Ancitipated Books of 2023
One of New York Post’s Best New Books
One of Reader’s Digest’s Most Anticipated Summer Books
One of BookRiot’s Best New Books of May
One of Esquire’s Best LGBTQ Books of 2023
"It’s hard to think of a novelist who handles grief with more gentleness than Steven Rowley. . . . Rowley himself nails the vibe as 'four funerals and a wedding'. . . . Rowley’s repartee is witty, and the importance of making sure those you love know how much they mean to you comes through on every page.” —The Christian Science Monitor
“Equal parts contemplative, heartfelt. . . The book not only serves as a reminder that life is indeed short, but also pays tribute to the healing power of friendship in times of great upheaval or loss. . . . Plenty of funny surprises . . . A truly heartrending yet convincingly uplifting conclusion . . . Unforeseen bombshells at just the right moments, and [Rowley’s] gift for taking some of life’s most challenging roadblocks and turning them into opportunities for hope and genuine connection . . . What we’re left with is a recipe for embracing life and all that comes with it by looking death in the eye and moving forward.” —San Francisco Chronicle
"Steven Rowley is one of those authors where if you read one of his novels, his name gets added to a mental 'TBR' (to-be read) list. That is, of course, if you love rich characters written with love and humor that you'd like to know in real life. Each of his books is so uniquely different in plot and beautifully told. . . . Rowley keenly taps into the vibe of old friendships. . . . People are craving connection now more than ever. Rowley's The Celebrants is not only a reminder of that, but a salve. Treat yourself, read this book, and call an old friend.” —Associated Press
What listeners say about The Celebrants
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hannah G.
- 2023-06-08
If you don’t cry, you’re dead inside.
Beautiful story about love, friendships, the journey that is life, and not leaving anything unsaid. Steven is a wonderful narrator and I’m glad he shares his stories with the world.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Justin Stanley
- 2023-06-25
It’s about how to live and love
You’ll laugh, cry, and be left feeling motivated to make changes in your life to focus on what’s really important: friends and family.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Hovey
- 2023-06-15
Okay
I had really high expectations after reading his “guncle” book so I was quite disappointed with this storyline
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Fabio
- 2023-06-17
Cried, laughed
This novel was Beautiful, heartfelt, hilarious and expertly narrated by the author himself. 5/5 from me on all fronts!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2023-06-15
Meh !
After reading the blurb, I was excited, sounded like a great book. I was expecting something totally different.
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