First published 2022
Antonia Adams grows up caught between two indifferent parents. Her mother, a failed actress, blames her for everything. Her father, an aristocrat, pretends she doesn't exist. Antonia learns to disappear into the background, finding safety in being overlooked. She loses herself in books and films, spending hours in dark theaters watching stories unfold on screen. Her passion for movies grows into a desire to write screenplays. A summer job at a Hollywood studio changes everything when a renowned British filmmaker spots her talent. He offers her a starring role and falls in love with her. Suddenly Antonia cannot hide anymore. The spotlight terrifies her, but she refuses to abandon her real dream of making films. When disaster strikes, she faces an impossible choice. She can retreat to the shadows where she feels protected, or step forward into the light and risk everything. Antonia must decide if pursuing her passion is worth the price of exposure.
Genres: fiction, drama, romance, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, self-discovery
Setting: Hollywood
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
288 pages · Hardcover · Delacorte Press
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness