by James Lapine
First published 2007
Steven the artist arrives at Paula's glittering New York literary party, where he encounters Alice, a writer whose career hangs in the balance. Paula, a powerful literary agent, orchestrates introductions while her ambitious young assistant Dana navigates the room with careful precision. When Dana approaches Steven and Alice, she sets off a chain reaction that will bind their fates together across decades. The story follows these characters through career highs and devastating lows, failed marriages and unexpected partnerships, the joys and sorrows of raising children. At the center grows Charley, the son born to Dana and Steven, who must forge his own path through the same cycles of ambition and disappointment that shaped his parents. Each character faces pivotal moments that seem ordinary but redirect entire lives. Their intersecting stories reveal how single encounters can echo through years, creating bonds that survive success, failure, and the relentless passage of time.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, relationships, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: New York
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
63 pages · Paperback · Dramatist's Play Service