Whisper Network: A Novel

by Chandler Baker

Overview

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

“Honest, timely, and completely thrilling.” —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine book pick)

“Part page-turning thriller, part smart examination of the #MeToo movement, part feminist rallying cry…Whisper Network is the satisfying “beach read” we’ve earned.”

—The Daily Beast

Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita have worked at Truviv, Inc. for years. The sudden death of Truviv’s CEO means their boss, Ames, will likely take over the entire company. Each of the women has a different relationship with Ames, who has always been surrounded by whispers about how he treats women. Those whispers have been ignored, swept under the rug, hidden away by those in charge.

But the world has changed, and the women are watching this promotion differently. This time, when they find out Ames is making an inappropriate move on a colleague, they aren’t willing to let it go. This time, they’ve decided enough is enough.

Sloane and her colleagues’ decision to take a stand sets in motion a catastrophic shift in the office. Lies will be uncovered. Secrets will be exposed. And not everyone will survive. All of their lives—as women, colleagues, mothers, wives, friends, even adversaries—will change dramatically as a result.

"If only you had listened to us,” they tell us on page one of Chandler Baker's Whisper Network, “none of this would have happened."

“Exciting and sprinkled with razor-sharp insights about what it is to be a woman today, Whisper Network is a witty and timely story that will make you cheer for sisterhood.”—Liv Constantine, USA Today bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250205360
Publisher:	Flatiron Books
Publication date:	07/07/2020
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Chandler Baker is the New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network, a Reese’s Book Club pick, as well as the Good Morning America Book Club selection The Husbands. A former corporate lawyer, she lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, two small children, and even smaller dog. Cutting Teeth is her third novel for adults.

Reading Group Guide

Welcome to the Reading Group Guide for Whisper Network. Please note: In order to provide reading groups with the most informed and thought-provoking questions possible, it is necessary to reveal important aspects of the plot of this novel—as well as the ending. If you have not finished reading Whisper Network, we respectfully suggest that you consider waiting before reviewing this guide.

1. “If only you’d listened to us, none of this would have happened,” the reader is told in the prologue. Who is the “you” in this statement? Does this warning ring true by the last page of the book? How does this prophecy color your read of the intervening events?

2. Throughout the novel, Sloane seems to feel some responsibility to protect Katherine from Ames, whom she views as a threat, while Rosalita, Grace, and Ardie all have their own personal philosophies about the “problem of Ames” and their relative roles in it. What responsibility do women bear to protect other women from dangerous men? How does that answer shape your ultimate view of Katherine’s actions?

3. In Chapter 25, the chorus narrates, “. . . but whispers could only carry so far. Such was the purpose of whispering—to ensure that not everyone heard.” “Intersectionality” is a term coined by black, feminist scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw as a framework to identify how interlocking systems of power impact those groups that are marginalized. What does the chorus’s statement suggest about the efficacy of whisper networks and issues surrounding intersectionality?

4. In Chapter 15, Sloane worries over whether Ames “knew better” than to act as he did toward his female employees. In what ways, if any, should Ames’s intent factor into a discussion about the fate of his professional life?

5. What parallels can be drawn between Abigail’s experience at school and the experiences of Sloane, Grace, and Ardie in the workplace? Do you think one experience affects the other?

6. The women of Dallas create the BAD Men List to warn each other about men who exhibit predatory behavior. Was Sloane right to add Ames’s name to the list? Is the BAD Men List ethical? Do you ultimately feel such a list is a good idea or a bad one?

7. In what ways do the women in the novel support each other, and in what ways do they fail one another?

8. Chandler Baker has chosen to tell part of the story through a first-person plural (“we”) point of view. What is the effect of this? Beyond issues of sexual harassment, how does the workplace experience differ for women in the novel compared to their male counterparts?

9. At the start of Chapter 20, the chorus observes, “. . . none of us thought that motherhood and work could exist harmoniously. If anything, they were two forces, diametrically opposed. We were the prisoners, strapped to the medieval stretching device, having enjoyed the rare privilege of both loving and having chosen our torturers.” Can motherhood and work exist harmoniously?

10. At the end of Chapter 45, Sloane admits to herself that she is a “terrible ambassador” for the cause against Ames. Is this true? Both Sloane and Katherine seem to feel they bear some of the blame for Ames’s treatment of them. Do they?

11. Cosette Sharpe agrees to take the lead in the counter lawsuit against Ardie, Grace, and Sloane. Sloane is angry at this perceived betrayal while Cosette feels justified in her decision. Whose side do you identify more strongly with?

12. Rosalita throws away the airplane wings that Ardie gives to Solomon. Why does she do that? Is there a better way for Ardie to have helped Rosalita and Solomon? Is there any way to overcome socioeconomic inequity, even when you’re trying your best?

13. Does it seem consistent with Ardie’s character that she did not reveal her assault to anyone and stayed working at Truviv? How do you think this affected her relationship with Sloane? Do you think Ardie guessed at Solomon’s parentage before it was revealed toward the end of the novel?

14. At any point in the novel, should—or could—Ardie, Sloane, Grace, or Rosalita have handled what to do about Ames differently? If so, how? To that end, before Ardie’s and Rosalita’s personal histories with Ames are fully revealed, did you believe Ames’s behavior was actionable? Was it sexual harassment?

Editorial Reviews

A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick

An Oprah Magazine's Buzziest Books of 2019

“Honest, timely, and completely thrilling.” —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine book pick)

“A delicious and timely thriller...Part soapy shocker (one of the characters is keeping a very big secret) and part legal thriller (excerpts from depositions offer a glimpse into the third act). Think Big Little Lies meets the famous 2017 list of men in the media industry accused of sexual harassment.”

—New York Times Book Review

“Part page-turning thriller, part smart examination of the #MeToo movement, part feminist rallying cry, Whisper Network is a wildly entertaining and empowering tale...Baker’s insights are so on the nose that they can elicit a visceral response...Whisper Network is the satisfying “beach read” we’ve earned.”

—The Daily Beast

“A sort of Big Little Lies in a Texas power suit, Whisper offers a crackling exposé of working motherhood, corporate malfeasance, and female friendship in the era of #MeToo...[Baker] captures keenly what it means to be a modern woman in an old boys’ world.” A-

—Entertainment Weekly

“A compulsively readable mystery with a strong message. Don't miss it.”

—Booklist, starred review

“This novel opens a conversation about challenging a man in power, but also contains all of the best components of a murder mystery.”

—Newsweek, Summer Books 2019: Best Buys and Beach Reads

“Vivid and compelling, offering an insider’s perspective on the true cost of female ambition in the workplace…Read this novel for a spirited take on the rage that simmers just below the surface of today’s woman in the corner office, the cubicle or the break room.”

—USA Today

“Viciously funny and compulsively readable, Baker's first adult novel is a feminist thriller for the #MeToo era…It's a breezy page-turner of a book, which is the brilliance of it: Under the froth is an unmistakable layer of justified rage.”

—Kirkus, starred review

"A thriller, a murder mystery, and an anthem for any woman who has ever hit a glass ceiling, been the brunt of sexual innuendo, or felt harassed in the workplace. Smart, articulate, and witty, it will resonate with a huge audience."

—Library Journal, starred review

“Fast, sharp and funny.”

—New York Post

"Don't be fooled by its title. Whisper Network is a primal roar of a novel. Furiously funny and just plain furious, it's as timely as today's headlines and as big-hearted as your best work friend. A fantastic read."

—Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Time I Lied

“Exciting and sprinkled with razor-sharp insights about what it is to be a woman today, Whisper Network is a witty and timely story that will make you cheer for sisterhood.”

—Liv Constantine, USA Today bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

“Delectable…Nuanced, heartfelt, and smart.”

—Toronto Star

“This feminist thriller is a thought-provoking addition to #MeToo's conversation about workplace misconduct, power, and gender roles. It's also a delectable read.”

—Refinery29, Best Books of July

“An engrossing, bracingly funny thriller…This empowering novel is sure to resonate with many readers in the #MeToo era.”

—Publishers Weekly

"Whisper Network is Big Little Lies meets Working Girl: a deft, honest take on what women in the workplace must endure; a fast-paced whodunit; and a gripping, #metoo-era thriller about how to fight for justice when the law isn't on your side. If your boss has done more than wink at you, if you've had to pump during a conference call, or if a man has ever taken credit for your work, then Chandler Baker's latest is a must read."

—Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet and June

“Whisper Network manages to be provocative, timely, and a ripping good read: A murder mystery and a manifesto all rolled up into one. I couldn’t put it down.”

—Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Watch Me Disappear

"Might just make the strongest claim yet for the thriller of the #MeToo era.”

—OprahMag.com

“This sharp, funny, and very timely debut—one of the season's most buzzed about—from Chandler Baker follows a group of colleagues as the company they work at gets a new leader whose open-secret bad behavior might just be his downfall. At least if they have anything to do with it.”

—Town & Country

“A well-told story about a hot button topic — a book that’s sure to entertain and lead to some interesting discussions.”

—The Missourian

“Women everywhere who have ever worked with toxic men might get neck cramps while reading Whisper Network, from nodding fervently at all the truth bombs Baker drops...The social commentary is razor sharp and incisive in its wit, and readers will be loud and clear when recommending this novel.”

—Shelf Awareness

“You’ll recognize every character in Whisper Network. Furious and relevant writing: the ultimate #metoo book.”

—Clare Mackintosh, bestselling author of I Let You Go

"It’s Nine to Five on speed. This preternaturally timely novel — provocative, disturbing, and (dare I say it?) surprisingly fun — is serrated as a kitchen knife, and twice as sharp. I read it with horror. I read it with pleasure. I’ll read it again."

—A.J. Finn, author of #1 NYT bestseller The Woman in the Window

“From the first page, Whisper Network is a twisty, propulsive, utterly addicting whodunit, with whip-smart, irreverent and unforgettable characters. Part murder mystery, part expose, the story takes hold of you and doesn’t let go for one heart-pounding second with its incisive commentary about harassment in the workplace with deadly consequences. Provocative, thoughtful and highly entertaining, Whisper Network is a book readers will be talking about long after they've finished reading it.”

—E. G. Scott, author of The Woman Inside

“If you love Big Little Lies (and want to sock it to the man), try Whisper Network. Part workplace thriller, part feminist call to arms…It’s The Firm meets 9 To 5. This is a juicy air-punch of a novel.”

—Grazia

“What do you get if you mix Big Little Lies with the #MeToo scandal? This perfect-for-now tale of four women who take a stand against their misogynistic boss, with results none of them could have foreseen. A barnstorming modern novel.”

—Evening Standard

“A striking portrayal of professional women in North Texas and the challenges we face as we strive to achieve professional equity in today's culture of rampant workplace sexual harassment and assault…Whisper Network reveals that the sometimes imperfect ways women navigate these impossible dilemmas doesn't make us failures, it makes us what men always get to be: human.”

—Dallas Morning News

From the Publisher

Narrator Almarie Guerra projects the Southern accent and sassy tone that are needed in this audiobook. After their company's CEO suddenly dies, Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita are determined to make sure that Ames Garrett, a man known to sexually harass women, isn't chosen for the position. Guerra captivates listeners by creating energetic portrayals as the women strategize to put an end to Garrett’s behavior, illuminating the feminine strength of the story’s "Me Too" message. Guerra offers satisfying pacing for the unveiling of each woman’s newfound empowerment as she faces down Garrett. This is an intense listen about women who triumph over injustice in the workplace. D.Z. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

JULY 2019 - AudioFile

Narrator Almarie Guerra projects the Southern accent and sassy tone that are needed in this audiobook. After their company's CEO suddenly dies, Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita are determined to make sure that Ames Garrett, a man known to sexually harass women, isn't chosen for the position. Guerra captivates listeners by creating energetic portrayals as the women strategize to put an end to Garrett’s behavior, illuminating the feminine strength of the story’s "Me Too" message. Guerra offers satisfying pacing for the unveiling of each woman’s newfound empowerment as she faces down Garrett. This is an intense listen about women who triumph over injustice in the workplace. D.Z. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

JULY 2019 - AudioFile