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The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Mutual Interest
An enthralling, dishy novel about ambition, sexuality, and the rise of a capitalist empire in post-Gilded Age New York.
"Hernan Diaz's Trust but make it gay? Narrated in the sly-eyed style of Plain Bad Heroines? I am absolutely buying what this book is selling, an epic and intimate tale of three secretly queer aspiring business titans who band together-and in the case of two of them, marry-to build an empire." -Electric Literature, Most Anticipated Queer Books for Spring 2025 At the turn of the 20th century, Vivian Lesperance is determined to flee her hometown of Utica, New York, and live a life worthy of the society pages she writes for. When she meets Oscar Schmidt, a queer middle manager at a soap company, Vivian finds a partner she can guide to build the life she wants--not least because Oscar will leave Vivian to tend to her own romances with women. But Vivian's plans require capital, so they approach Oscar's old-money rival, Squire Clancey. Together they found Clancey & Schmidt, a preeminent manufacturer of soap, perfume, and candles. When Oscar and Squire fall in love, the trio form a new kind of partnership. Vivian reaches the pinnacle of her power building Clancey & Schmidt into an empire of personal care products while operating behind the image of both men. But exposure threatens, and all three partners are made aware of how much they have to lose. For people who loved The Gilded Age and fans of Succession "who wished the show was both kinder and gayer" (Jessie Wright, Copper Dog Books), Mutual Interest is a brilliant, beguiling story of desire and power.Book Details
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date: Feb 4th, 2025
- Pages: 336
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 9.43in - 6.69in - 1.11in - 1.36lb
- EAN: 9781639733323
- Categories: • Historical - General• LGBTQ+ - General• Family Life - Marriage & Divorce
About the Author
Wolfgang-Smith, Olivia: - Olivia Wolfgang-Smith is the author of Glassworks, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. She is a 2024 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Fiction from The New York Foundation for the Arts and lives in Brooklyn with her partner.
Praise for this book
"Wolfgang-Smith explores tensions in the private lives of three queer misfits turned business titans in her stunning latest . . . Wolfgang-Smith's sharp, sardonic narration brilliantly brings to life both the Gilded Age and her unforgettable protagonists. It's a virtuosic performance." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Olivia Wolfgang-Smith writes with gusto, confidence and humor, and it's a magical combination. Vivian Lesperance is a delightful, brilliant woman vying to enter a society that has no room for her, and I rooted for Vivian every step of the way. But it's the love story that beats at the heart of this novel that won me completely: Squire and Oscar forever and ever." --Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of HELLO BEAUTIFUL and DEAR EDWARD "A glittering portrait of post-Gilded Age New York, Mutual Interest is also a timeless queer love story and a meditation on power, capitalism, and the flow of history. Wolfgang-Smith's writing is as wise as it is witty; this novel is a revelation and a joy." --Anna North, New York Times Bestselling author of Outlawed "A sumptuous delight . . . as witty as it is deadly serious, as joyous as it is razor-sharp. I loved every single brilliant page." --Clare Beams, author of THE GARDEN "The alluring world of Mutual Interest is populated by a remarkable, defiant cast of characters . . . Olivia Wolfgang-Smith has created something towering, labyrinthine, and utterly captivating." --Temim Fruchter, author of CITY OF LAUGHTER "Wolfgang-Smith approaches historical fiction as a costume ball, affecting a fizzy, omniscient narration: At the book's most fun, it's Edith Wharton or Henry James, with more camp and a winking tone . . . All's queer in love and industry: a memorable tale uniquely told." --Kirkus Reviews "Scintillating . . . The enticing prose is enhanced by its polished historical setting. Moving from the late 1890s into the early twentieth century, the omniscient narration details opulent parties, clandestine gay clubs, soap factories, and chaotic silent film sets . . . Explores turn-of-the-century alliances, ambitions, and the complications of concealing one's queerness within a narrow social code." --Foreword Reviews "Deeply imagined and immersive . . . I needed this novel, both for its cathartic devastation and the hope found in its wreckage." --New York Times Book Review on GLASSWORKS "Glassworks warrants our attention and our admiration. With its gripping turns and subtle prose, it is a near-perfect debut." --Washington Post on GLASSWORKS "Captivating . . . a twisty tale of love, chosen family, hard choices and harder people that picks up speed as it goes, careening breathlessly toward the last page." --Good Housekeeping, Best Books of 2023 So Far on GLASSWORKS