The Five-Star Weekend

Protagonist and popular professional food blogger, Hollis is no stranger to pain. Hollis lost both parents and her husband at a relatively young age and understands loss and grief. Her hardships and various life experiences encourage Hollis to focus on the small things that bring her joy, such as a well-cooked meal. Hollis’s followers find her relatable: “She became the best friend they all wished they had; she served up ‘everything is going to be okay’ vibes. […] Hollis presented an unvarnished version of herself—wrinkles, freckles, a slight double chin” (6). Although she doesn’t hide her physical flaws on her website, Hollis’s carefully curated content about homecooked meals never gets too deep or personal. Her attention to more surface-level material spills over into her non-digital life. In focusing on meticulously arranged charcuterie boards, Hollis neglects relationships with her daughter and close friends.

Hollis hosts her five-star weekend to distract herself from her intense grief. However, when her friends arrive amidst their own significant crises and interpersonal conflict, Hollis is forced to work on her relationships with the people she loves most. The most important of those relationships is with Hollis’s daughter, Caroline. When Caroline and Hollis reconcile, Hollis “stands up and Caroline squeezes her around the middle, and Hollis thinks, This is enough.