First published 2007
Acclaimed author C. receives an invitation to contribute to a book of "Strong Opinions." Though reluctant, he pens a series of incisive essays on the state, democracy, and modern crises. When he hires a young woman named Anya to type his manuscript, their professional relationship blossoms into something more intimate. But Anya's boyfriend Alan, a calculating financial consultant, grows suspicious of their bond. As the personal and political converge, C. must navigate a web of desire, power, and philosophical reckoning.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: power-imbalance, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Nan Fei
Period: Modern
231 pages · Hardcover · Viking Penguin, Inc.