{"title":"Books by Dawn Powell","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"a-time-to-be-born","title":"A Time to Be Born","description":"\u003cb\u003eA gorgeous new paperback of Dawn Powell’s razor-sharp comedy of manners, following a glittering tale of ambition and betrayal in prewar New York City.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Few books have so bitingly and energetically captured the hunger for status and success that animate the city and enrage so many.” \u003ci\u003e— The New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDeemed “wittier than Dorothy Parker, [and able to] dissect the rich better than F. Scott Fitzgerald” (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e), Dawn Powell earns her place as one of America’s great novelists with this biting satire of a wealthy, self-involved publisher and his scheming novelist wife.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmanda Keeler has clawed her way out of the backwaters of Ohio and into the affections of Julien Evans, New York’s most powerful newspaper tycoon. With his ex-wife vanquished, Amanda reigns over their Fifth Avenue mansion, publishing wildly successful (ghostwritten) novels, charming guests at martini-soaked parties and furiously fending off Julien’s pesky advances.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat’s until the past comes knocking in the form of Vicky Haven, a timid school friend desperate for reinvention. Ever the strategist, Amanda lands Vicky a job in listings and a studio apartment—perfect for Amanda’s daytime trysts with old flame, Ken Saunders. But matters of the heart rarely follow orders. When Vicky begins to wise up to her scheme, and sets her own sights on Ken, she ignites a love triangle that threatens to topple Amanda’s carefully constructed empire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eScathingly funny and irresistibly glamorous\u003ci\u003e, A Time to be Born\u003c\/i\u003e is a timeless portrait of social climbing, set in a 1940s Manhattan rife with backstabbing charm, brittle friendships and women who always land on their feet – heels first. Reissued in a stunning new package, it is the perfect introduction to Dawn Powell’s wicked wit and unsparing eye, guaranteed to delight both established fans and new readers alike.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57487904113013,"sku":"9781805333265","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781805333265.jpg?v=1786355125"},{"product_id":"the-locusts-have-no-king","title":"The Locusts Have No King","description":"\u003cb\u003eA glamorous playwright and a bookish academic navigate a reversal of fortunes in this sparkling romantic comedy from Dawn Powell.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The combination of a waspish sense of satire with a human sense of pathos results in a novel that is highly entertaining and curiously touching.” —\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDawn Powell turns her unsparing eye and stinging wit on the literary world in this charming romantic comedy following an introverted academic and a high-powered playwright who cannot quite relinquish each other, no matter how different they may be.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrederick Olliver, an obscure historian and writer, is having an affair with the restively married, beautiful, and hugely successful playwright, Lyle Gaynor. The pair could not be more different. Frederick is happiest among half-finished drafts and forgotten notes, while Lyle moves with ease through glittering first nights and high-powered dinner parties.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut when Frederick’s new book is abruptly seized by his publisher, he is thrust suddenly into the spotlight, transformed from obscure academic into the darling of the very elite he once scorned. At the same time, Lyle’s once unstoppable Broadway career begins to falter. With their relationship strained by this dizzying reversal of fortunes, they must navigate a society obsessed with wealth and status, where success reshapes intimacy and love often comes at a price.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTaking place under the bright lights of Broadway and smoky jazz bars of mid-20th-century New York, Powell’s biting send-up of society “locusts” blends the irresistible satire of Evelyn Waugh and the incisive wit of Muriel Spark.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57507778953589,"sku":"9781805333241","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781805333241.jpg?v=1788187145"},{"product_id":"turn-magic-wheel","title":"Turn, Magic Wheel","description":"\u003cb\u003eA tartly funny and wistful cautionary tale about turning others' lives into art, set against the bright lights of 1930s Manhattan, from master satirist Dawn Powell.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A gleaming, brittle and slightly brutal New York novel.” —\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDennis Orphen is a young, clever novelist with a keen eye for a compelling story. This time, however, his inspiration comes not from the world at large but from the romantic misadventures of his closest friend, Effie Callingham.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMore than a decade earlier, Effie’s husband, the celebrated writer Andrew Callingham, abandoned her for a younger, prettier woman. Despite the years that have passed, Effie has clung stubbornly to the hope that Andrew might one day come to his senses, defending his reputation with a fierce loyalty that masks her private heartbreak.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Dennis publishes his latest novel, the delicate balance of their friendship is thrown into chaos. In his thinly veiled portrait, Effie’s private pain is laid bare before a scandal-hungry literary society, while Andrew is revealed as the self-absorbed womaniser. Meanwhile, Dennis finds himself embroiled in romantic entanglements of his own, navigating a fraught relationship with Corinne, a married woman whose presence sparks longing, jealousy and moral uncertainty.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSet against the seedy glamour of New York society, from brandy-soaked nightclubs to cab-lined curbs, Dennis and Effie are forced to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves. Witty, poignant and unflinchingly observant, this is a satire that blends laughter and insight, exposing the absurdities and heartbreaks of love, friendship and ambition.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57507838689653,"sku":"9781782697169","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781782697169.jpg?v=1787042979"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-dawn-powell.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}