My Last Innocent Year

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This debut novel presents a resonant story of a woman's tumultuous final semester at an elite New England college, triggered by a nonconsensual sexual encounter and an ill-advised affair with a married professor. Set in 1998, Isabel Rosen, the daughter of a Lower East Side appetizing store owner, grapples with her working-class roots and the lingering grief of her mother's death four years prior. As she approaches graduation from Wilder College, Isabel feels she has finally found her place—until the traumatic incident with a fellow student leaves her shaken. Enter R. H. Connelly, a once-renowned poet and Isabel’s writing professor, who harbors his own secrets. Connelly sees Isabel for who she truly is, igniting her self-belief and leading to an affair that challenges her understanding of identity. As the lives of those around her unravel, Isabel learns that the transition from youth to adulthood is more complex than she imagined. Set against the backdrop of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, this coming-of-age narrative explores themes of trust, independence, and the beauty of one's origins, capturing a young woman's journey toward self-discovery.