The After Party: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Joan is the epitome of Texas glamour and the centre of the 1957 Houston social scene. Tall, blonde, beautiful, strong, she has a talent for dominating the room and the gossip columns. Cece is either Joan's chaperone or her partner in crime, depending on the night and whom you ask. With her husband and toddler, some say Cece shouldn't be concerned with Joan's single-girl exploits. When Joan starts to drift out of reach and beyond the borders of their confined world the summer they are 25, Cece considers it her responsibility to bring her back to the fold, for better or for worse.

Reviews

DiScafani excels at building suspense and has a gift for revealing private worlds through unexpected, telling details. . .Dramatic. . . Left me holding my breath. The New York Times Book Review

DiSclafanis story sparkles like the jumbo diamonds her characters wear to one-up each other. Historical fiction lovers will linger over every lush detail.People

The After Party explores female desire that threatens the status quo. . .Joan, much-loved and much-criticized by Cece, emerges as a spectacularly tragic figure. The After Party reads like a postmortem of more than just two womens lives.The Washington Post

A tale of lavish balls, garden clubs, and enduring female friendship.O, The Oprah Magazine

Glamorous.Good Housekeeping

"[The After Party] offers total immersion into gaudy, glamorous midcentury Houston. . .The story plunges us deep into a dazzling, decadent time and place a world in which a Texas wildcatter could spend his millions to build a towering hotel and decorate it in 63 shades of green, and the city's elite would come to bask in its gaudy splendor."The Houston Chronicle

"DiSclafani gorgeously evokesParty's mid-century setting." Entertainment Weekly

This hot read goes down just as easy [as a daiquiri].Cosmopolitan

Painting the landscape of Texas in exquisite detail, the acclaimed author ofThe Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girlsreturns with a thoughtful reflection on female friendship and learning to let go of the one you love.Real Simple

Two women take on the Texas social scene in the 1950s and all its attendant glamor and scandals. Youll just have to imagine the accents for yourself.Boston Magazine

"A vintage version of 'Gossip Girl' meets bigger hair."The Skimm

A smart, thoughtful must read. PopSugar

Gripping and glamorous. . .Consider it the perfect escapist read for your next poolside afternoon. (With or without a martini in hand.)PureWow

[Houston] makes the perfect backdrop for the tale, which is rich with sex, lies, side-eyes and cocktail parties.Houstonia Magazine

Nestled inside this gilded egg is a story about life, love and friendship. Houston Press

A clear and frightening look at life for Texas socialites in the 1950s. . .as beautiful and generous as Joan is, shes also a rebel who questions the confining rules of her socialite life. St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Anton DiSclafani is such a bewitching creator of character and mood, its easy to follow her beckoning lead. Dallas Morning News

A little Mad Men, a little Carol and a lot of steamy atmosphere. Tampa Bay Times

A deft examination of the intricacies, imbalances and often confusing complications of friendships between young girls and also a compelling romp into Texas society. Fort Worth Star Telegram

DiSclafani repaints sepia-toned historical periods in vivid, sultry colors.Departures Magazine

DiSclafani writes the hell out of the interior lives of women and the sticky trap of their friendships, like a less self-serious Elena Ferrante. . . I enjoyed every minute of it.The Frisky

The After Party is a puzzle with carefully modulated tension. . .Characterization, strong sense of place and the painful riddle of friendship form a novel that is vibrant, sensitive and suspenseful.Shelf Awareness

The After Party is a literary gin and tonic, brisk, intense and delicious. Anton DiSclafani paints the landscape of 1950's Texas in glorious detail. You feel the heat, hear the rustle of the party dresses as you tumble headfirst into the complex friendship of Joan and Cece. The author takes you full gallop into the world of two women as they navigate their dreams, hide their secrets and struggle to survive in a world where their roles are inescapable. This is a novel with a heart and a secret as big as Texas. Adriana Trigiani, author of The Shoemaker's Wife

In her tale of a fraught lifelong friendship, DiSclafani again investigates the power and perils of female sexuality. . .DiSclafani paints a rich portrait of a cloistered society and its damaged inhabitants in a consistently absorbing narrative. . . this talented newcomer's gifts for characterization and atmosphere are as sharp as ever. Kirkus

Author Bio

Anton DiSclafani is the author of the nationallybestselling novel, The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls. She was raised in northern Florida.