The narrative explores Peter's transformation from a struggling poet to a successful advertising executive over three decades in Brooklyn. While he appreciates the wealth, friendships, and security he has gained, he grapples with a profound sense of loss for the love of his life. The story delves into themes of change, nostalgia, and the bittersweet nature of time, highlighting how success and fulfillment can coexist with lingering heartache.
Set against a backdrop of opulence and rivalry, this novel explores the intertwined lives of Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton, two wealthy socialites whose glamorous existences are marked by public competition and private connections. Through their contrasting personalities and experiences, the story delves into themes of friendship, jealousy, and the complexities of their social status, offering a captivating glimpse into the lives of these iconic figures.
On a Thursday morning in May 1961, a well-mannered twenty-one-year-old named Marlene enters the Fifth Avenue apartment of Lee Radziwill to interview for the position of housekeeper and cook. The stylish wife of London-based Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, Princess Lee is intelligent and creative, with ambitions beyond simply jet-setting. But to the public, she is always First Lady Jackie Kennedy?s little sister. As Marlene becomes a trusted presence in the Radziwill household, she observes the dazzling array of famous figures who flit in and out of Lee?s intimate circle, including Gloria Vanderbilt, Rudolf Nureyev, Jackie and the President, Ari Onassis, Gore Vidal, Andy Warhol, and, most regularly, celebrated author Truman Capote. At the height of his fame following the success of Breakfast at Tiffany?s, Truman has granted Lee place of honor in his flock of glamorous socialite "swans." Their closeness stems from an unexpected kinship. Both know too well the feeling of being second-best. Seeing his shadow in the woman he refers to as his most unconventional swan, Truman uses his influence and talent to try and make Lee a star. Their bond deepens through the decade?s extraordinary events, from JFK?s assassination to the era-defining Black and White Ball. But Marlene, who Truman has taken under his wing as an aspiring writer, can see Truman?s darker side?especially his penchant for mining his friends? private lives for material. And there are betrayals on either side that may signal the end not just of a friendship, but of the shared expectation that wealth and fame can shield against every heartbreak