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Nine people from different walks of life attend a pricey 10-day "Mind and Body Total Transformation Retreat" at a place called the Tranquillum House run by a mysterious Russian woman named Masha. Throughout the course of their retreat they realize that each of them are battling their own demons and all of them are subjects of an experiment.
Characters
Tranquillum House staff:
Masha Dmitrichenko, the Russian founder of the wellness resort called Tranquillum House
Yao, one of Tranquillum House dedicated employees
Delilah, one of Tranquillum House dedicated employees
Jan, a massage therapist who works for Tranquillum House
The nine strangers:
Frances Welty, a novelist struggling with her professional and personal life
Tony Hogburn, a former American football tight end struggling with his addiction to food, tv and alcohol
Jessica Chandler, a wealthy lottery winner and social media influencer, married to Ben
Ben Chandler, a wealthy lottery winner, married to Jessica
Carmel Schneider, a single mother of four children whose husband left her and soon after started a relationship with a younger woman
Lars Lee, a divorce attorney
Napoleon Marconi, Heather's husband and Zoe's father, a high school teacher grieving the death of his son
Heather Marconi, Napoleon's wife and Zoe's mother, mourning the death of her son
Zoe Marconi, Napoleon and Heather's daughter, grieving the death of her twin brother
Reception
The book received mixed reviews.[2] Patty Rhule of USA Today gave the book two out of four stars, and said that it "does not match up to her captivating previous books." Specifically, she criticized the book for spending too many pages on character development.[3] In contrast, Lisa Scottoline of the New York Times said that all the characters are "fully realized, with compelling lives, relationships and motivations" and that the novel is "thought-provoking, but never pedantic" as it "raises fascinating questions about our relentless quest for self-improvement."[4]
It was 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist: Best Fiction.
In the book, Moriarty used and discussed the famous line "Reader, I married him" from the beginning of Chapter 38 of Jane Eyre. The line is discussed in chapter 12 and other chapters.