Palm Beach

<p><strong>Difficult to put down. . . . The novel is itself like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable. . . . Lines blur and expectations arent met, keeping readers on their toes. . . . makes for a surprisingly fast-paced <em>Palm Beach</em>. <em>Associated Press</em></strong></p><p><strong>A thought-provoking page-turner from the author of <em>When You Read This</em> and <em>Privilege</em>that captures the painful divide between the haves and have-nots and the seductive lure of the American dream.</strong></p><p>Living in a tiny Queens apartment, Rebecca and her husband Mickey typify struggling, 30-something New Yorkershes an actor, and shes a freelance journalist. But after the arrival of their baby son, the couple decides to pack up and head for sunny, comfortable Palm Beach, where Mickeys been offered a sweet deal managing the household of a multimillionaire Democratic donor.</p><p>Once there, he quickly doubles his salary by going to work for a billionaire: venture capitalist Cecil Stone. Rebecca, a writer whose beat is economic inequality, is initially horrified: she pillories men like Stone, a ruthless businessman famous for crushing local newspapers. So no one is more surprised than her when she accepts a job working for Cecils wife as a ghostwriter, thinking of the excellent pay and the rare, inside look at this famous <em>Forbes</em>-list family. What she doesnt expect is that shell grow close to the Stones, or become a regular at their high-powered dinners. And when a medical crisis hits, its the Stones who come to their rescue, using their power, influence, and wealth to avert catastrophe.</p><p>As she and Mickey are both pulled deeper into this topsy-turvy household, they become increasingly dependent on their problematic benefactors. Then when she discovers a shocking secret about the Stones, Rebecca will have to decide: how many compromises can one couple make?</p>