Julian Ladd and Rye Adler share a rundown apartment in Philadelphia, where they attend the famous Brodsky photography workshop. Rye starts as a superstar and critiques Julian's work as pointless. The two mismatched roommates separate immediately when the workshop ends. The novel then gives a POV chapter to each of the characters, and tension builds up quickly.



Both men are successful but in disparate fields. Rye is nationally known for his photography, and Julian becomes an advertising executive with a cushy life outside of the city. Julian connected with one other photographer and managed to get her to marry him. Magda comes from a diverse background than the other Brodsky students. She was born in Poland and grew up with a single mother in a poor section of Philadelphia. Magda knows what it is to struggle in everyday life. The narrative includes Magda and eventually their son, Theo.



EB writes a captivating story about all of the characters. I wanted to know Simone, Rye's wife, the poet. I wondered how they would meet again after twenty years. A crisis brought Magda and Rye together in NYC, where they shared their twenty years of growing into adults with families. Magda asks Rye for a favor, and the novel revs up to full speed as I wondered how all of what she asked would happen.



I enjoyed racing through this new book. It read like a thriller but came with a hefty literary edge. How do we connect with people in our youth and go on to live with decisions made when we barely knew what consequences life will throw at us? Mistakes made in your twenties seem like they can be re-done, if necessary, but often they may be forever decisions.



Thank you so much to Little, Brown and Company through NetGalley for the e-ARC of this novel.