Inez Roseman, a noted beauty, has a charismatic husband, two bright children, and a successful career as a lead violinist with the San Francisco Symphony. On the surface, she is a woman with an enviable life. But since the birth of her second child, Inez has been plagued by a depression that’s been deepened by her husband’s philandering. Now, at forty, the violinist is obsessed with thoughts of suicide.

Sylvia Bran, a waitress and music store pianist, also has an obsession. Enraptured by the beautiful violinist, Sylvia contrives a way to get to know Inez. At once seductive and solicitous, Sylvia awakens Inez from the suffocating grip of her career, the demands of motherhood, and the tensions of her unhappy marriage. The two women become lovers, embarking on a dance of passion and betrayal that soon spins out of control.

A novel of risk, passion, and surrender, Beautiful Inez is alive with the music that draws Inez and Sylvia together. Set against the vivid backdrop of San Francisco in the early 1960s, it is an unexpected journey into the lives of two masterfully drawn, unforgettable women.

Includes a new essay and a Q + A with the author.

From critically acclaimed novelist Bart Schneider comes a captivating tale of romantic love and sexual adventure, social change and family upheavals, set against the vibrant backdrop of San Francisco in the 1960s.

Inez Roseman has a brilliant career as a violinist with the San Francisco Symphony, a successful husband, and two bright and talented children. But despite her seemingly perfect life, Inez is obsessed with thoughts of suicide.

Sylvia Bran also has an obsession. Enraptured with the beautiful violinist, she pretends to be a reporter and arranges to interview Inez. At once seductive and solicitous, she awakens Inez from the suffocating grip of her career, the demands of motherhood, and the tensions caused by her husband's many affairs. The two women become lovers, embarking on a dance of passion and betrayal that soon spins out of control.

Like Arthur Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha and Michael Cunningham's "The Hours, "Beautiful Inez is an unexpected journey into the lives of masterfully drawn, unforgettable women, by one of the literary world's leading writers.

"From the Hardcover edition.

Bart Schneider is the author of the novels Blue Bossa, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Secret Love, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He was the founding editor of the Hungry Mind Review (later Ruminator Review) and now edits Speakeasy magazine.