Sex and vanity

The iconic author of Crazy Rich Asians returns with a glittering tale of love and longing as a young woman navigates the clash between her father's WASP family and George Zao, a man she desperately tries to resist. On her first morning on the stunning island of Capri, Lucie Churchill meets George and immediately dislikes him. She is irritated by his gallant offer to switch hotel rooms for a better view, his knowledge of Curzio Malaparte, and especially when he kisses her in the ruins of a Roman villa, only to be caught by her snobbish cousin, Charlotte. Teasingly, Charlotte remarks on Lucie's mixed heritage, highlighting her struggle with her identity as the daughter of an American-born-Chinese mother and a blue-blooded New York father. Lucie has always suppressed her Asian side, adamantly denying any feelings for George. However, years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton while Lucie is with her new fiancé, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to him again. This leads to a tangled web of deceit involving her family, fiancé, and even her Fifth Avenue co-op board, as she battles to keep George out of her life and heart. Set against a backdrop of privilege, decadent food, and extravagant fashion, this modern love story is a daring homage to A Room with a View and a brilliantly funny comedy of manners exploring two cultures.