Such a Pretty Girl
A Captivating Historical Novel
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- $179.00
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- $179.00
Descripción editorial
Perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Jodi Picoult, and Emma Cline, this vividly lyrical, evocative novel from the award-winning author transports readers to the gritty atmosphere of 1970s New York City as the precarious lines between girl and woman, art and obscenity, fetish and fame flicker and ignite for a young girl on the brink of stardom and a mother on the verge of collapse.
“A gorgeously written, emotionally resonant novel about mothers and daughters.” —Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author
In 1970s New York, her innocence is seductive.
Four decades later, it’s a crime...
Living peacefully in Vermont, Ryan Flannigan is shocked when a text from her oldest friend alerts her to a devastating news item. A controversial photo of her as a pre-teen has been found in the possession of a wealthy investor recently revealed as a pedophile and a sex trafficker—with an inscription to him from Ryan’s mother on the back.
Memories crowd in, providing their own distinctive pictures of her mother Fiona, an aspiring actress, and their move to the West Village in 1976. Amid the city’s gritty kaleidoscope of wealth and poverty, high art, and sleazy strip clubs, Ryan is discovered and thrust into the spotlight as a promising young actress with a woman’s face and a child’s body. Suddenly, the safety and comfort Ryan longs for is replaced by auditions, paparazzi, and the hungry eyes of men of all ages.
Forced to reexamine her childhood, Ryan begins to untangle her young fears and her mother’s ambitions, and the role each played in the fraught blackout summer of 1977. Even with her movie career long behind her, Ryan and Fiona are suddenly the object of uncomfortable speculation—and Fiona demands Ryan’s support. To put the past to rest, Ryan will need to face the painful truth of their relationship, and the night when everything changed.
“Magnetic...This knotty story leaves readers reflecting on the limits of family obligations.”–Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the magnetic latest from Greenwood (Keeping Lucy), a former child actor faces her childhood traumas after a photo of her is found in the collection of an alleged pedophile. Ryan Flannigan is preparing to celebrate her daughter Sasha's 18th birthday in Vermont when her childhood friend Gilly texts her about a New York Times article. Ryan learns that a photo of her at 11, by artist and family friend Henri Dubois, was found among the possessions of Zev Brenner, who has been accused of underage sex trafficking. The discovery leads Ryan to reflect on her estranged mother, Fiona, who gave Brenner the photo and who was widely seen as a "stage mother" during precocious Ryan's film career. When Fiona asks Ryan to protect her from media scrutiny by putting her up in Vermont, Ryan is conflicted, knowing that Fiona's neglect exposed Ryan to the risk of sexual abuse. She also wonders if Fiona was involved with Brenner's alleged crimes. In Ryan's introspective narration, she explores her mother's betrayal and quest for self-gratification, and her determination to offer her own daughter a different kind of life. This knotty story leaves readers reflecting on the limits of family obligations.
