by Tom Perrotta
First published 2023
Tracy Flick works as assistant principal at a public high school in small town New Jersey. At forty, she has settled into a quieter life than her ambitious youth promised. When the principal position opens up, Tracy sees her chance to prove her worth. The opportunity she has waited for finally arrives. But complications emerge when she joins the selection committee for the school's new Hall of Fame. Her colleagues want to honor Vito Falcone, a mediocre quarterback with a questionable reputation. This puts Tracy in an uncomfortable position. She must navigate the politics of her workplace while pursuing her own goals. The situation forces her to confront how much she has changed since her teenage years. Tracy discovers that ambition in middle age brings different challenges than the burning drive of youth. Perrotta examines how American suburban life has shifted over the past two decades through Tracy's struggles with institutional politics and personal compromise.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, school
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-growth, fish-out-of-water, workplace-drama
Setting: New Jersey, Public High School
Period: 21st Century
344 pages · Paperback · Libros del Asteroide