First published 1989
Gil Freeman arrives in New York City with big dreams and little money, determined to make it as an actor. He finds himself sharing cramped apartments and waiting tables while auditioning for parts that never come. His lifeline becomes Emma Gennaro, a sharp-tongued aspiring actress who becomes his closest friend and fiercest supporter. Emma drags Gil through the city's underground theater scene, introduces him to eccentric artists and writers, and keeps him afloat when his confidence crashes. As Gil stumbles through failed relationships and career disappointments, Emma remains his constant companion, pushing him forward even as she battles her own demons. Their friendship deepens through late-night conversations, shared rejections, and small victories in dingy theaters. But Emma carries secrets that threaten to destroy everything they've built together. When crisis strikes, Gil must discover whether their bond can survive the truth about who Emma really is and what she's been hiding.
Genres: fiction, drama, literary-fiction, american-fiction, friendship, contemporary, adult-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: New York City
Period: 21st-century
320 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster