Gilded Age: A Novel
“Looking for a beach read with a touch of literary pedigree? . . . [A] rich romp of a read.”—Elle"Great fun, an over-the-top social farce, likeGossip Girlfor grown people."—Boston Globe"McMillan, a facile writer who excels at natural dialogue, is deft at bringing character 'types' like Ellie and her professor-swain to life. Readers needn't care about Cleveland aristocracy to enjoy this book. . . . Ellie Hart's conundrum seduces us . . . studded with intriguing and accurate morsels, set among the city's old-money WASP conventions, updated with sexting and tequila body shots. More than a century afterThe House of Mirth, McMillan demonstrates that human nature's tendency to judge and shun is still with us."—The Cleveland Plain Dealer“McMillan reimagines Wharton’sThe House of Mirthas a modern story set amid the upper crust of Cleveland instead of New York. The new setting works brilliantly. While the book hews to the original in terms of plot, this is no literary parlor trick: The dialogue is sharp and witty, and the characters inhabit a world of their own making. It’s a tragic comedy that’s alternately hilarious and heartbreaking.”—Romantic Times“A hard-edged look at the . . . elite of modern-day Cleveland . . . While the novel tips its hat toHouse of Mirth, a simple comparison doesn’t do McMillan justice.”—Publishers Weekly“McMillan cleverly uses Wharton’s classic novel to draw parallels between the social mores of two starkly different centuries. . . . An engrossing first novel.”—Library Journal“Marvelous . . . it is McMillan’s deft touch with the complexities of male-female relationships that . . . giveGilded Agereal depth. . . . As a stand-alone novel this works in every sense.”—Portland Book Review"With a keen eye for the perfect detail and a heart big enough to embrace those she observes, Claire McMillan has written an assured and revelatory debut novel about class, gender, and the timeless conundrum of femininity."—Bookreporter.com“Entertaining and thought-provoking . . . mature and deft. . . . An engrossing reinterpretation of Edith Wharton'sThe House of Mirth.”—ShelfAwareness.com“If Edith Wharton had lived in the contemporary Midwest, here is the novel she would have written. From the dowager who pins a half million dollars in diamonds on her fleece vest to the native son burdened by a decaying family estate, Claire McMillan gets it all right as she spins an intelligent and engrossing story of class, feminism, and beautiful but doomed Ellie Hart.”—Susan Rebecca White, author ofA Soft Place to Land"InGilded Age, Claire McMillan manages to both channel Edith Wharton and tell a compelling contemporary story of a woman unable to define herself through anything but the men who who desire her."—Lily King, author ofFather of the Rain“Claire McMillan has captured Cleveland society in her clever net and with it brought back Lily Bart to vivid life in this witty, perceptive, and compulsively readable story of our human frailties, our strivings for success and love.”—Sheila Kohler, author ofBecoming Jane Eyre“Claire McMillan has written a delightful first novel, which cleverly usesThe House of Mirthas a counterpoint for her own perceptive take on contemporary social mores. A very fun read for Wharton's fans and anyone who likes a good story.”—Emily Mitchell, author ofThe Last Summer of the World“Claire McMillan's mesmerizing depiction of contemporary Rust Belt aristocracy—no less stratified and coded than Edith Wharton's New York—is also a tender look at friendship and the secret of happiness. The haunting beauty of this novel lingers after the final page.”—Irina Reyn, author ofWhat Happened to Anna K.