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CBS New York Book Club with Mary Calvi and Belletrist Book Club Pick “Raw, complex, and utterly unforgettable.” —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author The only child of a famous American novelist discovers a shocking family secret that upends everything she thought she knew about her parents, her gilded childhood, and her own stalled writing career in this standout debut, perfect for fans of Pineapple Street and The Plot. Growing up in the nineties in New York City as the only child of famous parents was both a blessing and a curse for Isabelle Manning. Her beautiful society hostess mother, Claire, and New York Times bestselling author father, Ward, were the city’s intellectual It couple. Ward’s glamorous obligations often took him away from Isabelle, but Claire made sure her childhood was always filled with love. Now an adult, all Isabelle wants is to be a successful writer like her father but after many false starts and the unexpected death of her mother, she faces her upcoming thirty-fifth birthday alone and on the verge of a breakdown. Her anxiety only skyrockets when she uncovers some shocking truths about her parents and begins wondering if everything she knew about her family was all based on an elaborate lie. This “literary page-turner” (KJ Dell’Antonia, New York Times bestselling author) is punctuated with fragments of a compulsively readable book-within-a-book about a woman determined to steal back the spotlight from a man who has cheated his way to the top. The characters seem eerily familiar but is the plot based on fact? And more importantly, who is the author?
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In “A Likely Story”, Leigh Abramson weaves a tale of stolen frame and a woman's quest to reclaim it against a backdrop of ‘90's New York City and framed around a young woman, Isabelle, an aspiring writer, and her novelist father Ward. Abramson plays with our notions of good and bad, deftly illustrating that no one is either one or the other, but a spot on a continuum depending on the circumstances, the point in time, and the people who surround us. Isabelle's journey in particular is layered and relatable and in fact, the strength of the novel lies in its authentic voice. This is Abramson's debut and her flawed characters and multiple POV's seem channeled through her real life experienced. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read and she's definitely an author to watch.
My thanks to Net Galley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC for early review.