CANR
WORK TITLE: Pink Glass Houses
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Miami Beach
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Children: one son, one daughter.
EDUCATION:University of Miami, graduated.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and journalist. Ocean Drive, Miami, FL, reporter.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Asha Elias is a writer based in Miami Beach, FL. She holds a degree from the University of Miami and previously worked at the luxury lifestyle publications, Ocean Drive.
In 2024, Elias released her first book, Pink Glass Houses: A Novel, which focuses on wealthy mothers in Miami Beach, a topic about which she had first-hand knowledge. In an interview with a contributor to the WorldRedEye website, Elias explained: “Being a parent in Miami Beach has been my greatest source of joy, but has also presented me with countless moments that have left me scratching my head. Motherhood can sometimes turn us into our worst versions of ourselves, and I wanted to explore that trait in a satirical way.” “Although it is cultural criticism, I want the book to be entertaining and show my love and appreciation for Miami,” she clarified in an interview with Claire Breukel on the Modern Luxury Miami website.
The children of the mothers in the book attend the elite Sunset Academy, and Charlotte Giordani, the alpha mother, intends to be the president of the school’s PTA. Melody Howard is new to town and tries to find her place in the social order. She accidentally offends Charlotte, but rather than trying to smooth things over, she decides to run against her for PTA president. Meanwhile, Melody’s new friends uncover potential financial misdeeds connected to Sunset’s fundraising efforts. A critic in Kirkus Reviews described Pink Glass Houses as “an ultimately satisfying tale about adult mean girls.” “Every voice that narrates is pitch-perfect, drawing distinctions between characters that few authors can pull off,” asserted Cari Dubiel in Booklist.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, June 1, 2024, Cari Dubiel, review of Pink Glass Houses: A Novel, p. 34.
Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2024, review of Pink Glass Houses.
ONLINE
Miami Book Fair website, https://www.miamibookfair.com/ (May 19, 2023), Elisa Chemayne Agostinho, author interview.
Miami New Times Online, https://www.miaminewtimes.com/ (August 8, 2024), Carolina del Busto, author interview.
Modern Luxury Miami, https://mlmiamimag.com/ (August 15, 2024), Claire Breaker, author interview.
WorldRedEye, https://worldredeye.com/ (July 31, 2024), Richard Alvarez, author interview.
Asha Elias Channels Her Life as a PTA Mom Into Her Debut Novel
Pink Glass Houses offers a peak into a life "where cocaine playdates, $100,000 kiddie birthday parties, and relentless social climbing are a way of life."
By Carolina del Busto
August 8, 2024
Author Asha Elias stands with her debut novel, Pink Glass Houses.
Author Asha Elias stands with her debut novel, Pink Glass Houses. Photo by Richard Alvarez/World Red Eye
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As the age-old adage goes, those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. But no one said anything about pink glass houses — especially if those houses are in Miami.
Author, journalist, and New Times columnist Asha Elias' debut novel, Pink Glass Houses, was inspired by her time as a Miami Beach housewife. Published by HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, the 272-page book hit stores last month.
The former Ocean Drive reporter sits at the café at Books & Books in Coral Gables. Behind her is a wall of pictures of famous authors hanging in white, bold frames. A few days before, she was seated in the adjacent room to celebrate the launch of her novel.
"I basically live here," she quips, just as Jonah Kaplan, general manager of the bookstore and son of owner Mitchell Kaplan, walks by and stops to say hello.
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Elias grew up in Boca Raton and moved to Miami in 2001 to attend the University of Miami. Fresh out of college, the journalism major got a job at Ocean Drive. She stayed at the magazine for nearly a decade before having her first child and deciding to be a stay-at-home mom for the next few years. It was throughout that time that Elias found herself surrounded by other PTA moms whose main priority was their kid and just their kid. It was an experience that would later inspire her first book.
Pink Glass Houses, set in Miami, of course, follows two moms as they compete for the title of PTA president at the prestigious — and totally fictional — Sunset Academy elementary school. The book description deliciously teases, "Pink Glass Houses is an irresistibly voyeuristic peek into the lives of the rich and infamous, where cocaine playdates, $100,000 kiddie birthday parties, and relentless social climbing are a way of life."
"The book was really inspired by motherhood in Miami and this experience of me having worked and having had a career and then putting that aside to be a full-time parent, which is what I wanted," Elias shares. "But then there's what that does to us psychologically and how things like crafting, Pinterest DIY boards, and party decorations kind of take over your life, and we become irrational about things that would not have mattered to us when we were in the corporate world."
Asha Elias poses during a reading a Book & Books in Coral Gables
"The rest of the country doesn't really understand how vibrant and how nuanced it is here," Elias says.
Photo by Richard Alvarez/World Red Eye
While the story is slightly outlandish, it's meant to offer a satirical perspective into the lives of these social-climbing parents who are more about keeping up with the Joneses than truly wanting what's best for their children.
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An important aspect of the book — and the story — is that it's written from the perspective of someone who's lived in the shared experience of her characters. And someone who is a Florida native, so she gets it.
"We live in such an interesting place, and I love Florida," Elias says. "And I think it's okay to criticize Florida because, you know, there are so many ridiculous things about living here. And we get it; we're in on the joke, but the rest of the country doesn't know. The rest of the country doesn't really understand how vibrant and how nuanced it is here."
The author sits perfectly upright, her shoulders back and posture pristine. Her brown hair cascades down her shoulders in waves. While she might be petite in size, there's a silent strength to her that spills over to her work. Her characters, much like Elias herself, are women you do not want to mess with.
"It's really a character-driven story," she adds. "It's getting into the minds of these women, primarily as they're navigating motherhood and trying to kind of outcompete one another for who's the most involved, most helpful, the most useful."
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In addition to her work as an author and columnist, Elias also works in the philanthropic space. In that experience, she says she's seen so many people who are in it for the wrong reasons. Many people just want to inflate their own egos and raise their own status.
"There was a frustration that I wanted to put out on the page, so I kind of channeled that all through this PTA story," Elias says.
Pink Glass Houses. By Asha Elias. William Morrow. 272 pages. Hardcover; $28.
QUOTED: "Being a parent in Miami Beach has been my greatest source of joy, but has also presented me with countless moments that have left me scratching my head. Motherhood can sometimes turn us into our worst versions of ourselves, and I wanted to explore that trait in a satirical way."
Q&A: Turning the Pages of “Pink Glass Houses” by Asha Elias
Photography by Richard Alvarez on July 31st, 2024 in Editorials, Lifestyle
Asha Elias
Miami, FL – July 30, 2024 – “It turns out that all the inspiration I needed was right under my nose.”
Asha Elias — writer, mother, and an observant Miami Beach socialite — turned to her life raising children on the island as a source of inspiration for her debut novel, “Pink Glass Houses”. Elias classifies the novel, which chronicles the lives of wealthy PTA moms of an elite elementary school in Miami Beach, as “a social satire” — “expect over the top antics and a fast paced ride”, she shares. “I will say in advance that none of these characters are perfect! By the end, however, some might come across as more redeemable than others.” As Asha celebrates the release of her very first novel and gears up for her next release the following summer, we sat down with the author to talk all-things “Pink Glass Houses”.
Asha Elias
WRE: What inspired you to write Pink Glass Houses?
Asha Elias: I’d always wanted to write a book- the hard part was latching onto an idea I’d be willing to explore and spend years writing and revising. It turned out that all the inspiration I needed was right under my nose. Being a parent in Miami Beach has been my greatest source of joy, but has also presented me with countless moments that have left me scratching my head. Motherhood can sometimes turn us into our worst versions of ourselves, and I wanted to explore that trait in a satirical way.
WRE: Tell us about your experience writing your first novel. How was this process? What was the most challenging part?
AE: I started writing Pink Glass Houses having no idea whether it would ever see the light of day. I just knew I wanted to write it. Along the way, I took some workshops to revise my pages with other professional writers. Those were immensely helpful in finding my blindspots and also suggesting plotlines and character moments I never could have thought of on my own. Once I felt the manuscript was in a strong place, I began querying for agents, which was torture! I don’t know of any published novelists who have enjoyed that part of the process. There are so few literary agents out there, and they are all inundated with requests from aspiring novelists. It’s rare to hear back from them at all and, when you do, it’s usually with a form rejection email. I was luckily enough to sign with the perfect representative for my book, Helen Heller. She understood immediately what I was trying to do with the story and, also, the had best possible home for my book in mind. After another quick round of revisions together, she sold it to HarperCollins/William Morrow. They were the first and only house to whom she submitted.
Asha Elias
Asha Elias
Asha Elias
Asha Elias
Pink Glass Houses is a social satire, so expect over the top antics and a fast paced ride
Asha Elias
Asha Elias & Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard
Asha Elias & Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard
Asha Elias & Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard
Asha Elias & Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard
Asha Elias & Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard
WRE: How would you describe this book, and what can readers expect?
AE: Pink Glass Houses is a social satire, so expect over the top antics and a fast paced ride. There is a rotating cast of characters, each with their own distinct perspectives and motivations. I will say in advance that none of these characters are perfect! By the end, however, some might come across as more redeemable than others.
WRE: What message or themes do you hope readers take away from Pink Glass Houses?
AE: More than anything, I hope readers have fun with the book and find little pieces of resonance here and there. It’s meant to be more observational than a searing socially commentary. If anything, I’d like readers to come away feeling like we can all make mistakes, sometimes big ones, and still be good parents and members of our community.
Asha Elias
Asha Elias
Asha Elias
Mitchell Kaplan
Mitchell Kaplan
Nikki Squire
Asha Elias
Asha Elias
Asha Elias & Jorgie Luis
WRE: With your background in Miami’s social scene and lifestyle journalism, how much of Pink Glass Houses is drawn from real experiences?
AE: Oh, it’s all completely made up (said with a wink). The characters are all their own people and not based on real life characters, but the action- on the other hand- is inspired by actual events or things that could absolutely happen in this town.
Asha Elias
Asha Elias
Asha Elias & Mitchell Kaplan
Asha Elias & Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard
Asha Elias & Alexa Wolman
Missy Babicka, Asha Elias, Nikki Squire, & Chelsea Manheimer
Asha Elias & Missy Babicka
Asha Elias
WRE: Can you tell us a bit about the characters, Charlotte Giordani and Melody Howard, and what makes their dynamic central to the story?
AE: Charlotte is our PTA alpha mom and the queen of Miami Beach. She’s unapologetically herself, which rubs some other parents the wrong way. Enter Melody Howard, recent Kansas transplant who poses a threat to Melody’s dream of becoming PTA president. She has the professional background to ace the job, and a faction of disgruntled Sunset Academy parents in her corner. At the end of the election, there can only be one winner.
WRE: What’s next for you? Are you working on a follow-up to this book or any other projects in the future?
AE: I’m thrilled to announced that my second book, The Namaste Club, will be out in summer 2025, also with HarperCollins/William Morrow. It’s a Florida satire that takes on the wellness community, invasive wildlife, book banners, and yoga bros. I love living in this state, with its endless sources of inspiration!
QUOTED: "Although it is cultural criticism, I want the book to be entertaining and show my love and appreciation for Miami."
Asha Elias Paints Miami In Epic Lights In Her Debut Novel
By: Claire Breukel | August 15, 2024 | People, Culture,
Asha Elias mirrors a Miami school’s sinful society in her newcomer novel Pink Glass Houses.
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Miami resident and first-time novelist Asha Elias PHOTO BY COURTNEY RODWELL
In her epic debut publication, Pink Glass Houses, author Asha Elias concocts the diabolic scandals of a Miami Beach elementary school’s social elite. Playing on the city’s free-living reputation, Elias pens a parent ecosystem whose exclamation-filled actions are tantalizingly immoral as they work toward the ironic plight of turning their children’s public school posh.
Characters are complemented by school letters, Magic City magazine interviews with the wealthiest parent couple celebrated for their soon-to-unravel philanthropic endeavors, and a dystopic real estate listing. Immersed in scandal, the reader joins a Big Little Lies television series-style journey that makes them complicit in the satirical enjoyment of seeing stones fly from within Miami’s overly shiny glass houses.
Elias began drafting Pink Glass Houses in 2020 while in quarantine. Drawing inspiration from her own experiences as a mother, she attempted to capture her feelings of amusement and frustration at the obsessive and, at times, illogical nature of parenting.
‘Although it is cultural criticism, I want the book to be entertaining and show my love and appreciation for Miami.’
Elias illuminates Miami’s living polarities as all too absurd by adding showy wealth, jealousy and power to the real-life plight of a struggling school education system.
Elias notes, “Although it is cultural criticism, I want the book to be entertaining and show my love and appreciation for Miami.” Pink Glass Houses is published by HarperCollins/William Morrow and is available at Books & Books in Miami, national chain bookstores, and online.
Friend of the Month: Asha Elias
May 19, 2023
Asha Elias planted roots in Miami in 2001, where she’s raising her 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. She’s a longtime fan and more recent Friend of the Fair, and also a soon-to-be-published author – her first novel, Pink Glass Houses, will be released June 2024.
Congratulations on the book – that’s so exciting! How did it come about?
I began writing the book when we went into quarantine, in early 2020. I think a lot of people went back to that thing in life they felt they’d left behind during that time, and for me it was writing a novel. I had this idea that I’d been kicking around and sketching out, a dark satire about Miami Beach culture, and after working on it for a few months I signed up for a Miami Book Fair virtual workshop with Bryan Washington in July.
Really? That’s so cool.
Yeah, that experience really kick-started finishing the book – finding writing groups, workshopping it – and then I finished writing it in January 2021, signed with an agent in the spring of 2022, and two months later sold it to HarperCollins/William Morrow.
You’d been going to the Fair for a while before you became a Friend – what compelled you to finally become a member?
I think it’s a very important cultural institution for Miami, and I was really eager to support it in any way I could.
There are a lot of advantages to being a Friend. Which benefit do you most appreciate?
Definitely the author talks, at the Fair and throughout the year.
What was your favorite session at the 2022 Fair?
I have to shoutout my friend Moriel Rothman-Zecher –
Oh, he was at the Fair last year and in 2020, too.
I had the pleasure of workshopping with him a few years ago and we stayed in touch. He came to town in November to celebrate his new book, Before All the World, and gave a talk about it at Book Fair.
You said you bring your kids to Street Fair – do you explore the rest of the Fair solo or with friends?
Oh yeah, my kids love Street Fair! That’s a must-do for us every year, basically since they could walk. Author talks I do with friends or by myself.
What’s a Book Fair moment that’s really special to you?
One thing that stands out isn’t a memory from the November Fair but from the workshop I did with Bryan Washington. That was really meaningful for a lot of reasons. It connected me to a community of writers again, and one of the talks Bryan gave was how to query agents – that’s something I’d never thought of. When I decided to write a novel I wasn’t sure what I was doing it for, other than I felt compelled to do it. The actual practical aspects of getting a book deal, they weren’t on my horizons at all. But that got me thinking about it and telling myself, well, maybe I can at least try and go through the process. So I’m incredibly grateful for that experience.
Are you a big reader?
Yes, a huge reader!
What’s the last great book that you read?
Romantic Comedy; I loved it! Curtis Sittenfeld is a delight. I also recently read Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild – I loved the Miami tie – Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson was fun, Omar El Akkad’s What Strange Paradise was gorgeous, and I just started The Very Nice Box by Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett. It’s gotten off to a good start.
What’s the one book you think every kid should have on their bookshelf?
That’s an easy one: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. My daughter read the book last year and we went to see the movie last weekend. Judy Blume is so brilliant; I can’t believe how timely the book still is. All of the issues that tween adolescent girls faced back then are the same ones they’re facing now, and they were presented in such an accessible and honest way.
It’s your fantasy dinner party and you can invite three of your favorite authors – who are they and why do you want them there?
Judy Blume because she’s an icon, Liane Moriarty because I’m a big fan – she’s had such an interesting career – and Gabrielle Zevin, who wrote Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. That’s one of my favorite books that I’ve read in the past decade, and she’s from my hometown and went to my high school, where we had the same writing teacher. I feel like we need to be friends. [laughs]
Interview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.
QUOTED: "an ultimately satisfying tale about adult mean girls."
Elias, Asha PINK GLASS HOUSES Morrow/HarperCollins (Fiction None) $28.00 7, 30 ISBN: 9780063312791
A woman struggles to find her place in a wealthy community full of social climbing and scandals.
When Melody Howard's husband, Greg, is offered his dream job in Miami, they pack up their home in Wichita, Kansas, and move to a house zoned for "the best public elementary school in Florida." The book opens as the family attends back-to-school night at Sunset Academy, and Melody is shocked to discover how different their new community is from the one they've left. Their daughter, Lucy, will be entering a school where mothers and children dress in astoundingly expensive (and revealing) designer clothing. Drinking and drugs are rampant among parents, and popularity seems tied to the size of a family's donations. Initially intimidated by the fancy cars and tummy tucks, Melody is delighted when she makes friends with Darcy Resnick, who seems to share her down-to-earth sensibilities. It's not long, however, before Charlotte Giordani, one of the queen bees, takes an interest in the new mom, and Melody starts getting caught up in everything she thought she hated. Unfortunately, she makes a misstep and quickly alienates Charlotte. Rather than slink into obscurity, Melody decides to run against Charlotte for PTA president, which will be either her only chance at redemption or the ultimate social suicide. While the story is entertaining from the start, the first several chapters describe the materialism of this Miami community in a tone that's more angry than funny. The author devotes so much space to mocking the affluent Miamians that by the time the central conflict emerges, readers may have lost interest. Once the plot starts moving, though, the tensions between characters rise and the novel takes on a new heft. Deeper issues related to honesty, loyalty, parenting, and mental health emerge, each of which is examined with admirable grace and just the right touch of humor.
An ultimately satisfying tale about adult mean girls.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Elias, Asha: PINK GLASS HOUSES." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799332699/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=72a52061. Accessed 25 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "Every voice that narrates is pitch-perfect, drawing distinctions between characters that few authors can pull off."
Pink Glass Houses. By Asha Elias. July 2024. 272p. Morrow, $28 (9780063312791); e-book (9780063312814).
Sunset Academy is the most elite public school in Miami Beach-and Charlotte Giordani is destined to rule it. A fundraising queen who's brought in huge donations, Charlotte is aiming for PTA president, once the incumbent steps down. Meanwhile, Melody Howard has just moved from Kansas, stunned with culture shock by the town's perfect parents and bombastic shows of wealth--such as the pink glass house of the title, a lavish custom-built home owned by Don and Patricia Walters, the main donors to the Sunset Academy. Melody isn't sure whether to ingratiate herself with high-energy Charlotte or to stick with the more sarcastic moms, and when she accidentally sends a snarky message to Charlotte, she becomes persona non grata at school. But when Melody's friends, including a lawyer and a judge, start sniffing out financial corruption in the PTA, she's determined to restore her image and fix the fraud. She announces her own candidacy for president--running against Charlotte. With its over-the-top setting and skewering of mommy culture, Elias's debut is devilish and witty. A sinister prologue also heightens the tension as the reader waits for the big reveal, and every voice that narrates is pitch-perfect, drawing distinctions between characters that few authors can pull off.--Cari Dubiel
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Dubiel, Cari. "Pink Glass Houses." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 19-20, 1 June 2024, p. 34. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A804018166/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b898e538. Accessed 25 Sept. 2024.