The Society of Shame

“A hilarious romp through cancel culture, performative activism, and politics. [Roper] manages a fine balance between quippy humor and genuine emotion, and as Kat steps out of her husband’s shadow, the book becomes a woman’s journey of self-discovery and a mother-daughter story. Recommended for fans of Maria Semple and Laurie Gelman.”  —Susan Maguire, Booklist (starred review)

“Brilliant Satire…A novel that takes back shame while packing a funny and poignant punch. . . . The humor gets its teeth from author Roper’s eye for just the right details. . . . Astutely written, with the perfect balance of humor, heartbreak, and understanding.”  —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Brilliantly executed, improbably well sustained and truly hilarious. Roper nails the shameless theatricality of politics and the anarchy of social media, but within her uproarious indictment is a quieter, rather moving consideration of a woman who’s a feminist living in a man’s shadow but determined to do right by her daughter” —Shelf Awareness (starred review)

“Roper spins a delightfully dead-on comedy of manners around an endearing heroine.” —People Magazine (Book of the Week) 

“At once hilarious and profoundly thoughtful, The Society of Shame is the reality check our social media-obsessed world needs right now. Jane Roper’s writing is funny, fearless, and fierce, and her book is like a much needed slap across the face of the metaverse. Get offline, pick up this book. You’ll thank me later.”
—Madi Sinha, author of At Least You Have Your Health

“Jane Roper has written a biting satire about (among other things) internet culture and our lust for rubbernecking. But at its heart, The Society of Shame is a serious novel about the search for female identity in middle age, and the unexpected ways a crude public spectacle can trigger moments of private revelation.”
—Steve Almond, author of All the Secrets of the World

“The Society of Shame is like Tom Wolfe and David Sedaris had a baby and it was female. I read an advance draft of this novel in the ‘Before Times,’ on a pre-pandemic plane, and I was worried I was going to get ejected because I was HOWLING with laughter on every page. This is the book we NEED right now: not only because it’s absofreakinglutely hilarious, not only because it makes trenchant points about cancel culture, but because it’s zany and zeitgeisty and, like all exquisite satire, it reflects us back to ourselves in a way that raises questions—and possible solutions. YOU NEED THIS BOOK.” —Jenna Blum,New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Lost Family

“Roper perfectly blends satire with witty prose to capture the ridiculous culture of social media and the 24-hour news cycle we currently find ourselves trapped in. Kat Held is a character you will hold close and think about long after you’ve stopped reading. This protagonist is all of us as we navigate what it means to be a woman in the world, to deal with shame and to carve out our identities as we age. The mother-daughter relationship at the heart of this page-turner of a novel is beautifully drawn as both Kat and her tween daughter come of age in very different and yet similar ways.”
—Jo Piazza, author of We Are Not Like Them and Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win

“This down-to-earth, biting, cinematic, and funny novel perfectly captures the many absurdities of our modern age and the indignities of middle age for women. With intelligence and a satirical eye for the just right detail, Roper lays bare the dangers of public scrutiny and leaves readers laughing, cringing, and nodding all at once.” —Heidi Pitlor, author of Impersonation and The Daylight Marriage, Series Editor of The Best American Short Stories

“A hilarious, fleet-footed romp that skewers contemporary culture, marriage, politics, and more even as it reveals the fears and desires that so often pit us against each other and ourselves, The Society of Shame made me laugh, wince, and think at every turn. I loved this book.” —Anna Solomon, author of The Book of V and The Little Bride