Joan Fortier is the epitome of Texas glamour and the center of the 1957 Houston social scene. Tall, blonde, beautiful, strong, she has a talent for dominating the room and the gossip columns. Every man who sees her wants her, and every woman wants to be her. She may be the only one of her enviable social circle not yet married and settled down, but that's okay- Joan enjoys a good scandal. Best friends with Joan since pre-school, Cece Buchanan is either Joan's chaperone or her partner in crime, depending on the night and whom you ask. With her solid husband and sweet toddler son, some say Cece shouldn't be concerned with Joan's single-girl exploits. But the two have grown up almost like sisters, to the point that it isn't always easy for Cece to tell where she ends and Joan begins. When Joan starts to drift out of reach and beyond the borders of their confined world the summer they are twenty-five, Cece considers it her responsibility to bring her back to the fold, for better or for worse. But as Cece's investment and involvement in Joan's life evolves, her judgment also clouds - ultimately allowing one questionable choice to appear to be the only one there is. Immersing readers in the big, sun-drenched world of 1950s Texas oil money and social clubs, DiSclafani's captivating new novel unfurls a story of female friendship as obsessive, euphoric, and consuming as any romance.
