The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund [Hardcover]

Jill Kargman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 2009

In The Right Address, Jill Kargman went behind the doors of New York’s most prestigious building. In Wolves in Chic Clothing, the junior jet set took center stage. In Momzillas, it was hyper-competitive Upper East Side mothers. And now, in The Ex- Mrs. Hedgefund, Kargman creates a hilarious, deliciously scathing send-up of the ultra-rich, ultra-ambitious hedge fund set.

Seemingly sheltered from the threats of economic collapse and the risk of downsizing from new Roger Viviers to consignment Manolos, the Hedge Fund men and their wives occupy a world of boundless excess and secluded luxury, a step above the already outrageous wealth of the Upper East Side.

Married to the founder of Comet Capital, Holly Talbott is slowing becoming a reluctant Mrs. Hedgefund. Sure, it’s great to be a stay-at-home mom to her son Miles and to have a rolodex of eager donors when she is fundraising for the local hospital. But, the lunches are called luncheons because they take eons, even botox can’t stop her mother-in-law’s withering stares, and her husband, Tim, is away so often it feels like she’s single again.

When an adventure in trendy Williamsburg leads to a shocking discovery, Holly soon learns that not all of Tim’s trips have been for business. Forced to choose between living honestly and being a Mrs. Hedgefund, Holly begins to navigate a new New York existence and finds that sometimes exes have all the fun, and in the most unexpected places...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the gilded age of a few months ago, hedge fund managers were the kings of ka-ching. Of course, now they're not, and there's a sparky frisson to Momzilla author Kargman's lively chronicle of a queen of ka-ching who ditches her hedge fund manager hubby. Hedge-fund wife Holly Talbott, 34, has forgone Botox and boob jobs and considers herself more J. Crew than J. Mendel. She also thinks she has a happy marriage despite her ferocious mother-in-law and the cattiness of keeping up with the yummy mummies of her son's schoolmates. But once she and best friend Kiki discover her husband's cheating ways, the knives come out: among other things, the tough pre-nup makes divorcing the ultra-rich hedgie trickier than she expects. Dating isn't much easier, but readers will know to hold out for the glowing happy ever after. Effervescent Holly's romp through wealthy Manhattan is a gleeful little bonbon. (Apr.)
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From Booklist

Kargman, the author of Momzillas (2007), returns with another skewering look at life in Manhattan’s elite classes, this time focusing on the ultra-rich hedge-fund set. Holly and Kiki Talbott are the wives of brothers who founded Comet Capital. Good-girl Holly is immersed in life as a stay-at-home mom, while her husband Tim jets around the globe. Meanwhile, wild-child Kiki, sick of the luncheon circuit and her emotionally unavailable husband, leaves Tim’s brother. When Holly discovers Tim is having an affair, she must navigate life as an ex–hedge-fund wife, too. Shunned by her former social circle, she begins a new job and embarks on a new relationship. Kargman ably describes a world of unimaginable extravagances, but the novel’s true heart is Holly and Kiki’s unwavering friendship. Readers will also appreciate an epilogue that addresses the current economic woes and gives the greedy hedge funders their comeuppance. --Aleksandra Walker

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (April 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525950982
• ISBN-13: 978-0525950981
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #960,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jill Kargman is deathly afraid of clowns. And mimes. Wait, mimes are worse. She lives in New York City where she writes magazine articles and trashy novels and enjoys wrap sandwiches. She is the author of teen books Bittersweet Sixteen, Summer Intern, and Jet Set, plus some excellent grown-up books. And by grown-up books she doesn't mean porn; she means not young adult but plain old adult. Her articles have appeared in Vogue, Teen Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Town & Country, Travel + Leisure, Elle, Elle Décor, and a bunch of British magazines you've never seen. She went to Yale where she did not study writing and has three children who keep her young. And exhausted.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timely and laugh out loud funny, April 30, 2009

By 

Liz C. (Indianapolis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund (Hardcover)

The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund is both a quick funny beach read and a keenly observed social comedy of its time and place. It's a send-up of the personal excesses practiced by the New York City "hedgie" set prior to the current economic crisis, and the story a newly divorced mom finding her way back to happiness. The book had me alternately laughing out loud, chuckling under my breath and nodding in recognition of the characters and situations. Holly, the main character/narrator, must navigate between her previously comfortable life and a new one, minus the perks of wealth, that might really be happy, all the while trying to keep her son well-grounded. You don't need to be a New Yorker or know the financial world to enjoy this book, as Kargman explains a lot in both Holly's narrative and in the fun charts scattered throughout the book. Jill Kargman is great at skewering the rarified world of the Upper East Side of NYC that she knows best, with sharp-witted humor, but obvious fondness for its foibles.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Summer Read!!!!, April 24, 2009

By 

Living The Dream "Literati" (Upper East Side, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund (Hardcover)

I have read all of Mrs Kargman's books (I am actually a male) and enjoy her intellect and approach to todays social strata. Over the last few years the world had become a somewhat surreal place and to truly understand where we are collectively heading one must remember where we were. Some of the excesses were extraordinary and absurd. This book gives a fantastic angle into the lives of an entire subculture of money hungry, vacuous people. They defined success, stature and class simply as a correlation to material wealth.

The ex-mrs. hedgefund will be remembered as an anthropological assessment of a time that many mere "wealthy" people hope never returns. This book is a must read and can easily be read in a day at the beach and will definitely create enjoyable dinner conversation. The only thing I would like to do now is spend an hour with the author and share some more anecdotes.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read! I devoured it in a day., April 20, 2009

By 

CMD "Love good books" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund (Hardcover)

I fell in love with the main character Holly Talbott. This is a very engaging and entertaining story. With so many so-called "gripping" best selling books that can leave one tense and depressed - this book is such a delight. It's a smirky and witty look at the super rich and the search for happiness no matter your zip code or tax bracket.