The author will be in conversation with Laura Spence-Ash as they discuss her new novel, "The Phoebe Variations," at this special book launch event.
Join us as we celebrate the release of "The Phoebe Variations," the new novel from Jane Hamilton.
The New York Times bestselling author of "The Book of Ruth" and "A Map of the World" returns with a stunning coming-of-age novel about girls, mothers, and finding one's way in the world.
About the Book (from the publisher):
Seventeen-year-old Phoebe was never interested in her birth family. But on the cusp of her high school graduation, her adoptive mother, Greta, insists on a visit to meet her biological parents and siblings. The encounter is a jolt, a revelation that derails Phoebe.
With the help of her best friend Luna, Phoebe runs away--as far as their friend Patrick O'Conner's chaotic home, where she hopes to go unnoticed among his thirteen siblings. But when Phoebe asks Patrick to chop off her hip-length hair, she's suddenly transformed. Patrick's older brothers can't help but notice the striking, Peter Pan-like stranger who has suddenly appeared in their midst.
What starts as an adolescent rebellion soon spirals into a whirlwind of self-discovery and unexpected connections. As she grapples with her shifting identity and strained relationships, Phoebe must navigate the tumultuous road out of girlhood and chart a new and unknown course.
About the Author:
Jane Hamilton’s novels have won literary prizes, been made into films, have been international best-sellers, and two of them, The Book of Ruth and A Map of The World, were selections of Oprah’s Book Club. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times and various magazines and anthologies. She has taught at Carleton College and in the Warren Wilson MFA program and given numerous workshops.
About the Moderator:
Laura Spence-Ash’s debut novel, "Beyond That, the Sea", was published by Celadon Books in March 2023. The novel garnered praise from Meg Wolitzer, Ann Napolitano, and Claire Messud, among others. Laura was named one of the 10 Writers to Watch in Spring 2023 by Publishers Weekly. The novel was chosen as a GMA Buzz Pick, an Indie Next Pick for April 2023, and it received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Laura’s short fiction has appeared in One Story, New England Review, Crazyhorse, and elsewhere. She was the founding editor of CRAFT, an online literary journal, and she has taught for Rutgers University, the Princeton Adult School, and One Story. She has received fellowships and support from MacDowell, the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, and Sewanee Writers’ Conference. She earned her MFA in Fiction from Rutgers-Newark, where she received the Presidential Fellowship, and she lives in New Jersey.
This event is cosponsored by The Princeton Public Library and Labyrinth Books.
