{"product_id":"9781608196906","title":"Lucky Break : A Novel","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eLucky Break\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Esther Freud\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is their first day at Drama Arts, and the nervous students huddled in a circle are told in no uncertain terms that here, unlike at any other drama school, they will be taught to Act. To Be. To exist in their own world on the stage. But outside is the real world-a pitiless, alluring place in which each of them in their most fervent dreams hopes to flourish and excel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNell, insecure and dumpy, wonders if she will ever be cast as anything other than the maid. She'll never compete, she knows, with the multitude of confident, long-legged beauties thronging the profession- most notably Charlie, whose effortless ascendance is nothing less than she expects. Meanwhile, Dan, ambitious and serious, has his sights fixed on the role of Hamlet, as well as on fiery, rebellious Jemma.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOver the following decade, these young actors grapple with haphazard tours, illogical auditions, unobtainable agents, deluxe trailers, rocky relationships, and red-carpet premieres. This dazzling new novel from Esther Freud uncovers a world of ruthless ambition, uncertain alliances, and the many-sided holy grail of Success.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eSummer at Gaglow\u003c\/i\u003e (A \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003eNotable Book): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A shrewd and absorbing novel, a near-seamless meshing of family feeling, history and imagination.\"\u003cb\u003e-\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eLove Falls\u003c\/i\u003e: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Nobody else can write this well about the bravery and the sad wisdom of children. In a culture which dins with brashness and self-advertisement, attending to Esther Freud's still, truthful voice becomes not only a pleasure but a necessity.\"\u003cb\u003e-Jonathan Coe\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A superbly gifted writer… [\u003ci\u003eLucky Break\u003c\/i\u003e is] breezily charming and typically shrewd, and comes with a new satirical edge… Freud creates relationships so fraught and delicate that at times the characters themselves can hardly bear to examine them… Freud explores them with a dazzling clarity that displays her true, writer's calling.” —\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eLucky Break\u003c\/i\u003e pierces the superficial surface of acting to reveal the enthralling, authentic drama at the heart of the business.” —\u003ci\u003eNewsweek Daily Beast\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Bubbly, buoyant… and just great fun… It's hard to picture a more pleasant diversion.” —\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Each of [Freud’s] beautifully written books creates a fascinating special world, and this one—an exegesis of her acting-school years—is no exception.” —\u003ci\u003eMarie Claire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Absorbing... [Freud] captures fleeting hopes, insecurities, and self-doubts... [and] brings a touch of irony to the red carpet.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Freud chronicles 14 years in the life of a group of young actors... Drawing inspiration from her early acting training, Freud finds joy and heartbreak in her winning ensemble.” —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I started reading \u003ci\u003eLucky Break\u003c\/i\u003e. I didn't move. I just read it. Finished in one sitting.” —\u003ci\u003eAntonia Fraser, author of Must You Go?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I loved \u003ci\u003eLucky Break\u003c\/i\u003e--being taken away and plunged into that vivid group of actors... Completely authentic and enthralling” —\u003ci\u003eMichael Holroyd, author of A Strange Eventful History\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781608196906\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Bloomsbury USA","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40593893458126,"sku":"9781608196906","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_c6f9ff7c-42c6-4249-8446-2afda34da708.jpg?v=1637795845","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781608196906","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}