Elegiac, elegant, and more relevant than ever, this new edition of
Sara Gran's debut novel is a modern literary classic.
Cities and families make up our lives in equal measure: both never stop
changing, and both can protect us, hold us--or cut us to the bone. For
Mary Forrest, 29, her city and her family are deeply entwined: her
mother, Evelyn, is the editor of the most prestigious literary magazine
in New York, as much a part of the city as the Chelsea Hotel (now
condos) or Green-Wood Cemetery (now five figures per plot). In 1999, as
gentrification morphs the neighborhoods Evelyn and Mary have known all
their lives, Evelyn's mind likewise starts to slip away. Mary's life is
going the way of the Automat and Luna Park, and she is furious.
As her city, her mother, and the other touchstones of her life start to
fade away, Mary looks for hope in astrology, men, friends, and work. But
when all seems lost, it's time to stop looking for happiness outside,
and start looking for the guiding stars within.