Pretty Little World - Softcover

Elizabeth LaBan is the author of The Tragedy Paper, which has been translated into eleven languages; The Grandparents Handbook, which has been translated into seven languages; and The Restaurant Critic's Wife. She lives in Philadelphia with her restaurant-critic husband and two children.

Melissa De Pino is the founding partner, principal, and editorial director of Leapfrog Group, a branding and marketing firm for nonprofits, and a former high school English teacher in Camden, New Jersey. She grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and earned degrees at both Villanova and Temple universities. She lives in Center City, Philadelphia, with her two sons. Pretty Little World is her first novel.

POPSUGAR Best Book of Winter Selection

“LaBan and DePino pen an engrossing work, rife with real familial and marital issues...This duo is one to watch. An excellent choice for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner.” —Booklist, Starred Review

“A wonderful commentary on community, family, friendship, and questioning what these values mean in our lives.” —Library Journal

“Pretty Little World is an intriguing novel about the walls individuals put up around themselves when the physical walls come down. LaBan and DePino navigate through the lives of three families in an engaging and unconventional way, and they are not afraid to hit on hard topics....An interesting story that competently tackles the concept of codependency and individuality.” —RT Book Reviews

“When the literal walls come down among neighbors in adjoining Philadelphia row houses, three young families have the chance to create their own urban Utopia. But can they pull it off? Elizabeth LaBan and Melissa DePino pack Pretty Little World full of gourmet meals, marital scandal, inquisitive neighbors, and friendships whose bonds are sorely tested. The result is a skilled, funny, and highly engaging examination of family, love, and marriage in the City of Brotherly Love. This book is a win.” —Meg Mitchell Moore, author of The Admissions

“Do good fences really make good neighbors? That’s the question at the heart of LaBan and DePino's intriguing novel. Brimming with astute observations and chock full of surprises until the very last page, Pretty Little World offers a fresh, unexpected look at friendship and marriage.” —Camille Pagán, author of Life and Other Near-Death Experiences

“Hilarious, relatable, and surprisingly complex, the families in this engaging novel truly touched my heart. I laughed, I cried—I cringed!—but mostly I recognized their longing to feel true community in a world that often makes us feel so alone.” —Loretta Nyhan, author of All the Good Parts, Empire Girls, and I’ll Be Seeing You