First published 2017
Julia and Cassie have shared secrets since nursery school in Royston, Massachusetts. Both girls dream of leaving their small town behind, but adolescence pulls them in different directions. While Julia follows a safer path, Cassie chooses risks that threaten her safety and destroy their bond. The fracture between them forces Julia to question how well she truly knew her best friend. Claire Messud explores the stories people tell themselves about their relationships and the limits of understanding others. As Julia watches Cassie's dangerous choices unfold, she must confront what friendship means when two people grow apart. The novel examines how childhood bonds can both sustain and confine us as we become who we're meant to be.
Genres: american-fiction, contemporary, adolescence, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, friends-to-lovers
Setting: Royston, Massachusetts
Period: adolescence
247 pages · Hardcover · W. W. Norton & Company