SHOULDER SEASON
Christina Clancy
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St. Martin's Press
7/6/21
Fiction
Hardcover, 336 pages
"A striking portrayal of a glamorous piece of history."
––SheKnows.com
Named a Best Book of Summer by Parade • EW • Travel & Leisure • Brit & Co • SheReads
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The small town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is an unlikely location for a Playboy Resort, and nineteen-year-old Sherri Taylor is an unlikely bunny. Growing up in neighboring East Troy, Sherri plays the organ at the local church and has never felt comfortable in her own skin. But when her parents die in quick succession, she leaves the only home she’s ever known for the chance to be part of a glamorous slice of history. In the winter of 1981, in a costume two sizes too small, her toes pinched by stilettos, Sherri joins the daughters of dairy farmers and factory workers for the defining experience of her life.
Living in the “bunny hutch”—Playboy’s version of a college dorm—Sherri gets her education in the joys of sisterhood, the thrill of financial independence, the magic of first love, and the heady effects of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. But as spring gives way to summer, Sherri finds herself caught in a romantic triangle—and the tragedy that ensues will haunt her for decades.
From the Midwestern prairie to the California desert, from Wisconsin lakes to the Pacific Ocean, this is a story of what happens when small-town life is sprinkled with stardust. With a heroine to root for and a narrative to get lost in, Christina Clancy's Shoulder Season is a sexy, evocative tale, drenched in longing and desire, that captures a fleeting moment in American history with nostalgia and heart.
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Dear Readers,
I couldn’t believe it when I heard that Hugh Hefner ran a family-themed Playboy resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin from 1969-1981. Shoulder Season explores this odd moment in history through the eyes of Sherri Taylor, a young woman from East Troy, the small town where my husband’s family has deep roots, and where I spend my summers.
In 1981, during the waning days of the resort, Sherri's friend Roberta convinces her to apply to be a Bunny. She agrees because she’s at loose ends having lost her parents, and she’s anxious to escape her small town. Sherri lands the job and is surprised to learn (as I was) that the resort is hardly the den of inequity she expected. She’s supervised by a Bunny Mother, monitored closely by security guards and room captains, and she lives in a dorm surrounded by a 12-ft fence. Once she dons the ears and zips herself into her tiny costume, she has to negotiate between the wholesome reputation of the resort and the less wholesome expectations of the Playboy brand.
The work is hard, but she has fun hanging out with her new friends. She meets celebrities and rock and roll musicians, and she experiences the magic and uncertainty of first love. But that part of her life ends with a tragedy that will haunt her for the next forty years until she returns to East Troy and learns that her version of the past isn’t entirely accurate.
Most of us have gone through a phase in our youth when we become so caught up in the moment and our own lives that we hurt people and make decisions we regret. Sometimes the guilt and remorse stay with us for years, and even decades. My novel explores the lasting reputation of Playboy and how even a brief stint at the club clings to Sherri’s identity, and also the idea that time changes, but the past is never very far away.
Christina Clancy
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SHOULDER SEASON
Book Club Menu
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Playboy Bunnies were supposed to seem playful and sweet, which is why I’d pair Shoulder Season with a big slice of retro pineapple upside-down cake. Sherri Taylor would love this treat if she didn’t have to worry about keeping her weight down in order to fit into her tiny costume. :
You could wash down this sugar bomb with the Wisconsin state cocktail: an Old Fashioned made with brandy, 7 Up, sugar, water, and Angostura bitters, and garnished with sweet cherries, picked from Wisconsin’s famous Door County cherry orchards for local flavor.
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Another decadent option for cold weather is hot buttered rum, served slope-side by "snow bunnies." Thomas Mario's Playboy’s Host and Bar Book includes the Lake Geneva Playboy Resort-Hotel recipe: Pour rum, maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice into a mug. Add boiling water and stir in butter, sugar, and a lemon slice. Top with grated nutmeg.
-Christina Clancy
Menu:
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Wisconsin Old-Fashioned
Lake Geneva Playboy Resort-Hotel
Hot Buttered Rum
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