Synopses & Reviews
“A convincing and suspenseful novel, well-written, precise, and poignant in its depiction of human nature in dire distress.” —Sheila Kohler, author of Dreaming for Freud
Brett had been in love with Charlie from the first day she laid eyes on him in college. When Charlie is brutally murdered, Brett is devastated. But, if she is honest with herself, their marriage had been hanging by a thread for quite some time. The recent reappearance in their lives of his unstable younger brother, Eli, further strained their relationship until Brett, ever steadfast in her devotion to Charlie, began to question her own commitment in the days leading up to his death. Though all clues point to Eli, who’s been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years, any number of people might have been driven to slit the throat of Charlie Moss--a handsome, charismatic man who unwittingly damaged almost every life he touched. Now, looking back on their lives together, Brett is determined to understand how such a tragedy could have happened--and whether she was somehow complicit.
Set against the lush yet desolate autumn beauty of Cape Cod, The Last September is a riveting emotional puzzle. Award-winning author Nina de Gramont is at the top of her game as she takes readers inside the psyche of a woman facing down the meaning of love and loyalty.
Praise for Gossip of the Starlings:
“DeGramont’s debut novel is the kind of smart and riveting read the fans of a certain kind of campus drama—think Donna Tartt’s The Secret History—will devour.” —People
“A transfixing debut.” —The Washington Post
“Stunning . . . I inhaled this novel in one breath.” —Jacquelyn Mitchard
“Will join that shelf reserved for literary classics.” —The Providence Journal, Best Books of 2008
Review
“A convincing and suspenseful novel, well-written, precise, and poignant in its depiction of human nature in dire distress.” —Sheila Kohler, author of Dreaming for Freud
Review
“A moody murder mystery . . . De Gramont's latest boasts lovely, understated writing, sharply drawn settings--Boulder, Amherst, and Cape Cod--and, once again, characters who are irresistibly attractive, flawed, and dangerous . . . But it is also an emotionally intense study of how a transcendent love becomes a fraying marriage . . . A fine literary whodunit from an accomplished storyteller." —Kirkus Reviews
“Brilliant rendering of love story, murder mystery, pitch-perfect study of horrific 'ordinary' mental illness, and that rare coming of age novel that deals with adults, who actually do come of age in the most difficult ways. I was hooked by the first paragraph, which somehow contains all the beautiful, luminous grief of the whole story, and I truly did not want to let it go in the end.” —Brad Watson, author of Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives
“The Last Septemberis a wonderful, glowing book populated by characters that become a part of your life long after the last page has been turned. It is the type of novel writers admire and readers long for.” —Jason Mott, author of The Returned
“Nina De Gramont’s The Last September portrays an immediately gripping world of secrets, trauma, and conflicting loyalties. Spanning mental illness, the meaning of family, and the lengths we go to for love, this novel begs to be read in a single sitting. . . A literary novel of both suspense and emotion, this flashback-filled murder mystery has broad appeal.”—Foreword Reviews
“A convincing and suspenseful novel, well-written, precise, and poignant in its depiction of human nature in dire distress.” —Sheila Kohler, author of Dreaming for Freud
Synopsis
Set against the desolate autumn beauty of Cape Cod, The Last September is a riveting emotional puzzle that takes readers inside the psyche of a woman facing the meaning of love and loyalty.
Brett has been in love with Charlie ever since he took her skiing on a lovely Colorado night fourteen years ago. And now, living in a seaside cottage on Cape Cod with their young daughter, it looks as if they have settled into the life they desired. However, Brett and Charlie s marriage has been tenuous for quite some time. When Charlie s unstable younger brother plans to move in with them, the tension simmering under the surface of their marriage boils over.
But what happened to Charlie next was unfathomable. Charlie was the golden boy so charismatic that he charmed everyone who crossed his path; who never shied away from a challenge; who saw life as one big adventure; who could always rescue his troubled brother, no matter how unpredictable the situation.
So who is to blame for the tragic turn of events? And why does Brett feel responsible?
"
Synopsis
“The Last September is a wonderful, glowing book populated by characters that become a part of your life long after the last page has been turned. It is the type of novel writers admire and readers long for.” —Jason Mott, author of The Returned
Brett had been in love with Charlie from the day she laid eyes on him in college. When Charlie is found murdered, Brett is devastated. But, if she is honest with herself, their marriage had been hanging by a thread for quite some time.
Though all clues point to Charlie’s brother Eli, who’s been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years, any number of people might have been driven to slit the throat of Charlie Moss--a handsome, charismatic man who unwittingly damaged almost every life he touched. Now, looking back on their lives together, Brett is determined to understand how such a tragedy could have happened--and whether she was somehow complicit.
Set against the desolate autumn beauty of Cape Cod, The Last September is a riveting emotional puzzle. Award-winning author Nina de Gramont is at the top of her game as she takes readers inside the psyche of a woman facing down the meaning of love and loyalty.
“Brilliant rendering of love story, murder mystery, pitch-perfect study of horrific ‘ordinary’ mental illness, and that rare coming-of-age novel that deals with adults who actually do come of age in the most difficult ways. I was hooked by the first paragraph, which somehow contains all the beautiful, luminous grief of the whole story, and I truly did not want to let it go in the end.” —Brad Watson, author of Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives
Synopsis
“When I look back now, it hurtles toward us like a meteor. But at the time we were too wrapped up in our day-to-day life to see it. Charlie and I lived in a borrowed house by the ocean. Our daughter, Sarah, was fifteen months old. September had just arrived, emptying the beaches at the very moment they became most spectacular.”
Brett has been in love with Charlie ever since he took her skiing on a lovely Colorado night fourteen years ago. And now, living in a seaside cottage on Cape Cod with their young daughter, it looks as if they have settled into the life they desired. However, Brett and Charlie’s marriage has been tenuous for quite some time. When Charlie’s unstable younger brother plans to move in with them, the tension simmering under the surface of their marriage boils over.
But what happened to Charlie next was unfathomable. Charlie was the golden boy so charismatic that he charmed everyone who crossed his path; who never shied away from a challenge; who saw life as one big adventure; who could always rescue his troubled brother, no matter how unpredictable the situation.
So who is to blame for the tragic turn of events? And why does Brett feel responsible?
Set against the desolate autumn beauty of Cape Cod, The Last September is a riveting emotional puzzle that takes readers inside the psyche of a woman facing the meaning of love and loyalty.
Synopsis
“The type of novel writers admire and readers long for.”*
“Convincing and suspenseful . . . precise and poignant in its depiction of human nature in dire distress.” —Sheila Kohler, author of Dreaming for Freud
“That rare coming of age novel that deals with adults, who actually do come of age in the most difficult ways. I was hooked by the first paragraph, which somehow contains all the beautiful, luminous grief of the whole story, and I truly did not want to let it go in the end.” —Brad Watson, author of Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives
“The Last September is a wonderful, glowing book populated by characters that become a part of your life long after the last page has been turned.”—*Jason Mott, author of The Returned
“An emotionally intense study of how a transcendent love becomes a fraying marriage . . . [with] characters who are irresistibly attractive, flawed, and dangerous . . . A fine literary whodunit from an accomplished storyteller.” —Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Gossip of the Starlings
“De Gramont’s debut novel is the kind of smart and riveting read the fans of a certain kind of campus drama—think Donna Tartt’s The Secret History—will devour.” —People
“A transfixing debut.” —The Washington Post
“Stunning . . . I inhaled this novel in one breath.” —Jacquelyn Mitchard