The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Ward, Amanda Eyre. The Jetsetters. New York: Ballantine Books, 2020.

The novel is set in the year 2015. Charlotte is a 71-year-old woman who lives in Savannah, Georgia. She is a widow. Her husband, Winston, was an alcoholic with mental health issues. Winston killed himself years ago. Recently, Charlotte’s best friend Minnie died. Charlotte decides to enter a travel contest, for which she has to write a personal essay. In her essay, she writes about losing her virginity in her youth to a famous painter. Charlotte hopes to have adventures on the trip, and possibly also form a romantic connection. Charlotte also decides to invite her three adult children on the trip, as she feels that she has become somewhat estranged from them.

The oldest of Charlotte’s children is Lee, who is 38 years old. She lives in Los Angeles and has had limited success in trying to be a successful actress. The second, Cord, is 36 years old. He is a fairly successful venture capitalist living in New York City. He is homosexual and is engaged to a man named Giovanni, but he has yet to tell his family about his sexuality. The youngest, Regan, is in her early thirties. She is married to a surgeon named Matt, and they have two children. However, Regan feels stifled by the marriage, and she and Matt no longer love each other.

Charlotte’s three children all agree to join her on the trip, and Matt comes as well. The trip consists of a cruise around the Mediterranean Sea, with stops in Greece and Italy. The family is fairly dysfunctional and prone to arguing. Charlotte hopes that the trip will help them reconnect as a loving family. However, the dysfunction soon becomes prevalent. Cord is a recovering alcoholic, and he relapses one night due to the pressure of being with his family. He is also nervous at the prospect of having to tell Charlotte that he is engaged to a man, as Charlotte is a devout Catholic.

During the cruise, Lee discovers that she is pregnant. She is unsure whether she wants to keep the pregnancy or abort it. She is also unsure whether she wants to continue pursuing acting or not. Additionally, she suffers from untreated depression. Meanwhile, Regan and Matt continue to experience deep dysfunction in their marriage. Matt eventually confesses that he has been having an affair and that he wants a divorce. Regan is actually relieved by this news, and she wanted a divorce. She feels hopeful about her future. Also, she knew that Matt was having an affair, because she had subtly encouraged it.

During the course of the trip, Charlotte forms a romantic and sexual connection with a handsome, elderly porter on the ship. The porter is a Greek man named Paros. Charlotte realizes that the relationship will likely be untenable once she returns to the United States, but she decides to simply enjoy it for the time being. Towards the end of the trip, Cord tells his family that he is homosexual, and they respond with love and acceptance. A few days later, Lee has a miscarriage, which is traumatic for her. She tries to kill herself, but fortunately she lives. Charlotte and her three children all recommit to their familial bonds with a sense of renewed love.