The Little Clan
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
“A brilliant newcomer ... Cohen is not only a talented writer; she is an artist.”—Andre Aciman, New York Times-bestselling author of Call Me by Your Name, the novel that inspired the Academy Award-winning film
A love letter to classic literature and an illuminating look at newfound adulthood
Ava Gallanter is the librarian in residence at the Lazarus Club, an ancient, dwindling Manhattan arts club full of eccentric geriatric residents stuck in a long-gone era. Twenty-five-year-old Ava, however, feels right at home. She leads a quiet life, surrounded by her beloved books and sequestered away from her peers.
When Ava’s enigmatic friend Stephanie returns after an unplanned year abroad, the intoxicating opportunist vows to rescue Ava from a life of obscurity. Stephanie, on the hunt for fame and fortune, promises to make Ava’s dream of becoming a writer come true, and together they start a Victorian-inspired literary salon at the Lazarus Club. However, Ava’s romanticized idea of the salon quickly erodes as Stephanie’s ambitions take the women in an unexpected—and precarious—direction.
In this humorous yet keenly observant coming-of-age story, Cohen brings us into a boisterous literary world bathed in hubris and ambition. With eloquent prose and affecting storytelling, The Little Clan is both a wickedly fun yet sharply insightful look at friendship, feminism and finding yourself in your twenties.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cohen's charming debut sparkles with humor, heart, and an irresistibly irreverent love of books and bibliophiles. Ava Gallanter young, unaware of her own attractiveness, and clinging to the outdated etiquette, clothing, and traditions of her favorite novels works as a librarian at an old-fashioned Manhattan social club, The Lazarus Club, that caters to an aging clientele. The setting should be ideal for an aspiring author, but Ava can't seem to set pen to paper. When her beautiful, impulsive, and chaotically magnetic best friend, Stephanie, bursts back into her life, Ava trades her comfortable but stagnant solitude for a chance to build the bustling literary salon she's always dreamed of running. Unfortunately, their visions don't align. Stephanie drags Ava into a Gatsbyesque series of extravagant parties masquerading as book readings, leaving a trail of destruction both physical and emotional in their wake. Plunged into credit card debt, with both her employment and housing threatened, Ava begins to question everything she has always believed about herself, including her literary ambitions, her friendship with Stephanie, and even her sexuality. Without either the Lazarus Club's stability or Stephanie's schemes to hold her up, Ava must find a way to forge her own identity. Cohen's vibrant, engaging style gives her characters an appealing depth that will leave readers longing for a sequel.
