Synopses & Reviews
Some dreams never die.
It's 1986 and eighteen-year-old Evie dreams of being an actress. Leaving her hometown of Eden, Ohio, for the first time, she's heading to London to study drama. Together with fellow students Imogene (a born-again Laura Ashley poster child and frustrated virgin) and Robbie (a native New Yorker, budding bohemian, and very much not a virgin), Evie's flung into a thrilling new world -- a world illuminated by the glamorous, outrageous Robbie. Together, anything's possible.
But then life, and love, intervene.
And everything changes.
Fifteen years later, Evie's a single mother teaching drama to night students and living with the eccentric Bunny in her house of artistic renters. Robbie's gone now, killed in a car accident. And Evie's doing her best to forget the past, as well as the dreams they once both shared.
Then an old friendship comes back to haunt Evie.
Literally.
And suddenly everything is about to change again.
Review
“Clever…Elegance makes the journey in style.” Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
Review
“A breath of fresh air in a wold of increasingly tiredlooking chicklit… a stylish antidote to girly fluff.” Daily Express (UK)
Review
“A deeply nuanced work.” Pittsburgh Tribune
Review
“Fans of Helen Fieldings Bridget Joness Diary will love this unique Pygmalion tale, an impressive debut novel.” Library Journal, starred review
Review
“Fabulous fiction. Expect to laugh and maybe pick up some Grace Kelly Jackie O-esque tips.” Arizona Republic
Review
“A tale as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming.” Rocky Mountain News
Review
“Through vivid descriptions, lively mishaps and devastating details, Tessaro serves up a witty, original, fastmoving debut.” USA Today
Review
“Elegantly written and compelling.” Entertainment Weekly
Review
“Witty…proves that confidence never goes out of fashion.” Glamour
Review
“A brilliant read with fashion advice thrown in!” New Woman
Review
“Funny and witty…devilishly fun to read.” Romantic Times, four-star review
Synopsis
The enchanting new novel from the international bestselling author of "Elegance" finds new hope for a drama instructor when she encounters a friendship from the past.
Synopsis
From New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Tessaro comes a poignant, funny, and utterly remarkable story of real life, real love, and fantasy--and the changes they put you through. Following a dream can lead to unexpected places....
It is 1986, and eighteen-year-old aspiring actress Evie leaves Eden, Ohio, to study theater in London, England. Almost immediately she falls in with new female chums Imogen (born-again Laura Ashley poster child, frustrated virgin) and Robbie (gorgeous wild-child bohemian, far from virginal). The world is thrilling and new, and anything is possible...until love intervenes.
It is 2001, and Evie's a single mother teaching drama to night students. Robbie is dead, killed in a car accident. And Evie is doing her level best to forget the past, the lost opportunities, and the dreams that exploded...until an old friendship comes back to haunt her. Literally.
Synopsis
From New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Tessaro comes a poignant, funny, and unforgettable story of real life, real love, and fantasy--and the changes they put you through.
1986. Starry-eyed and ready to take the world by storm, Evie Garlick leaves her small town of Eden, Ohio, to study drama in London, intent on becoming a star of the classical stage. But when she arrives in England, it quickly becomes clear she's way out of her element--and completely unprepared for what fate has in store for her.
Luckily, her new flatmate, the larger-than-life Robbie, immediately takes the bewildered Evie under her wing. Glamorous and bohemian, Robbie's unorthodox Greenwich Village upbringing and reckless lust for life both dazzle and astonish Evie. Soon the drama offstage in their small student flat is more exciting than any Broadway play. And when Evie meets Jake, a defiantly self-assured young musician bent on two things--success and her--she finds herself suddenly in far too deep, painfully in love, out of control, and yet thrillingly alive, questioning everything about herself--and her dreams.
2001. Robbie has been dead for five years, and Evie, now a single mother, is still living in London. Resigned to earning a living by teaching drama to night students, her life bears little resemblance to the one she'd imagined for herself fifteen years ago. Her carefully ordered routine and beloved son help to keep the memories and regrets at bay--most of the time. But when the past pays Evie a visit, she's forced to confront the ambitious young woman she used to be and re-examine the choices she made...and those she couldn't--in order to claim a new future.
About the Author
Born in Pittsburgh, Kathleen Tessaro emigrated to London where she worked as an actress in films, television, and theater, while training to be a drama teacher and voice coach. She is the author of the novels Elegance, Innocence, and The Flirt. Kathleen currently lives in Pennsylvania.