September Girl

A novel about first loves, last loves, second chances—and all of life's messiness in between.Newly widowed at the start of the new millennium, novelist Olivia Hammond is at loose ends—until an unexpected discovery resurfaces a long-ago secret and makes her question the story she thought she knew about her past. As she embarks on a book tour for her new novel, Livvie reconnects with Robert Yardley, a legendary photographer and her first love. During a road trip to Robert's Southern childhood home, the two dissect their splintered relationship and the life they might have had.1965, New York City. In an era when women were relegated to the role of office girls, young, ambitious magazine writer Livvie meets seasoned photojournalist Robert while covering the Great Northeastern Blackout. Theirs is a globe-spanning, news-chasing romance worthy of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Livvie imagines it lasting forever—but instead, it burns bright and fast, for reasons she's never entirely sure of, and irrevocably alters the course of her future.Alternating between the past and the present, September Girl will appeal to readers of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney, Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen, and Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. It's a novel about a changing era, about the reasons we keep secrets, and about whether the life we would have chosen is ever the life we were meant to lead.Includes a reading group guide and book club discussion questions.