The Smart Set

The morning after his wife’s grand ball, Will Makeway writes that he spent the evening displaced from his own bedroom and hiding in his den with the cigars. His wife calls it a triumph.

In late-19th-century New York, the Makeways’ letters turn a glittering party into a comedy of mismatched perspectives: Julia celebrates a conquest of society, while Will grumbles about the cost, the fuss, and the fashionable guests who shut out his business friends. Their daughter Helen has made her debut, and a young lord is already courting her. Julia sees promise; Will fears an American girl may be won by a title—and insists he won’t fund the match. In these sharp, lively exchanges, what will Helen choose, and whose hopes will shape her future?

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