This author brings a unique blend of life experiences to her writing, from a childhood spent moving between New York and California to inhabiting aristocratic circles and being raised by bohemian parents. Her work is shaped by diverse influences, including Sufism, surf culture, and radical movements, infusing her worldview with a distinctive perspective. With a singular sense of humor that embraces the absurdities of life, she explores themes of family, identity, and society. Her writing is playful and full of unexpected turns, mirroring her family motto of "Never a Dull Moment."
This debut novel introduces a captivating new voice in American popular fiction, weaving a spellbinding narrative that promises to engage readers with its unique storytelling style. The author blends fresh perspectives with compelling themes, inviting audiences into a rich and immersive world. With a focus on character development and intricate plotlines, this book is poised to leave a lasting impression on the literary landscape.
"Cornelia Read's darkest, most passionate, and most poignant book yet." -Tana French, New York Times Bestselling Author The smart-mouthed but sensitive runaway socialite Madeline Dare is shocked when she discovers the skeleton of a brutalized three-year-old boy in her own weed-ridden family cemetery outside Manhattan. Determined to see that justice is served, she finds herself examining her own troubled personal history, and the sometimes hidden, sometimes all-too-public class and racial warfare that penetrates every level of society in the savage streets of New York City during the early 1990s. Madeline is aided in her efforts by a colorful assemblage of friends, relatives, and new acquaintances, each one representing a separate strand of the patchwork mosaic city politicians like to brag about. The result is an unforgettable narrative that relates the causes and consequences of a vicious crime to the wider relationships that connect and divide us all.
Madeline escapes the drudgery of rural Syracuse, but when her husband's job offer falls through, she becomes a teacher at the Santangelo Academy, a school for troubled teens. As she questions the director's bizarre methods, she finds herself trapped in a world of devoted colleagues and joins rebellious students to resist the questionable authority.