Clare Sestanovich

From the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize finalist, whose short stories received instant acclaim ("Sparingly told, evoked with lacerating intimacy . . . Extraordinary" --Esquire), a debut novel about a young woman's coming of age, and the singular friendship that challenges her values, her beliefs, and the course of her life At sixteen, Eva meets Jamie by chance. She lives in middle-class south Brooklyn; he comes from the super rich of upper Manhattan. She's observant, cautious, often insecure; he's curious, bold, full of mysteries. These two questers are drawn together in a strange and profound friendship, tested by forces larger than themselves. As Eva follows a path of conventional achievement--a prestigious degree, a classic romance, the start of an ambitious career--Jamie seeks out more radical experiments in finding himself: renouncing his family, joining a political movement, and eventually even talking to God. Carried forcefully along by Clare Sestanovich's exquisite prose, these two characters are pulled into separate spheres but circle the same questions: how to define their values and find their purpose, how to create a sense of self while discovering what they owe to society and to the cause of justice. These reckonings propel a surprising story of intimacy across time, exploring the alchemy of identity, the mystery of destiny, and the difficult journey of finding faith--in yourself, and in the world.

One of The New Yorker's Best Books of the Year'A finely drawn portrait of the kind of friendship we rarely see in contemporary fiction' - The Guardian'Impressive and sophisticated' - The Daily Telegraph How much knowledge do you need in order to know someone? As her grandmother is dying, sixteen-year-old Eva wanders the halls of a hospital. There, she spots Jamie. Despite having little in common, from this chance-encounter stems a life-changing platonic love. She is sixteen, living in middle-class Brooklyn; he is the same age, but from the super-rich of Upper Manhattan. She’s observant, cautious, eager to seem normal; he’s bold, mysterious, eccentric. Eva’s family is warm and welcoming, but Jamie avoids going home to his. As Eva goes off to university and falls in and out of love, Jamie drops out and is drawn towards radical experiments in politics and religion. Their separate spheres seem to be spiralling away from each other, but it soon becomes clear that they are both circling the same question: how do you define yourself and your beliefs in a divided and unjust world? Written with precision and immense wit, Ask Me Again is a journey of intimacy across time. A love story of sorts, this coming-of-age novel explores how relationships can define us, change us and point us towards futures we might not have imagined for ourselves. A Finalist for The Center For Fiction First Novel Prize‘Beautiful . . . Clare Sestanovich is a writer of disarming radiance’ – Garth Greenwell, author of Cleanness‘A deeply philosophical novel, which surprises and delights at every turn’ – Jenny Offill, author of Weather

Ask Me Again is a smart and funny coming-of-age novel that explores platonic love and what it is to define yourself and your beliefs in a world obsessed by the things that divide us.

THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE SHORTLIST - From the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize finalist, whose short stories received instant acclaim ("Sparingly told, evoked with lacerating intimacy . . . Extraordinary"--Esquire), a debut novel about a young woman's coming of age, and the singular friendship that challenges her values, her beliefs, and the course of her life At sixteen, Eva meets Jamie by chance. She lives in middle-class south Brooklyn; he comes from the super rich of upper Manhattan. She's observant, cautious, often insecure; he's curious, bold, full of mysteries. These two questers are drawn together in a strange and profound friendship, tested by forces larger than themselves. As Eva follows a path of conventional achievement--a prestigious degree, a formative romance, the start of an ambitious career--Jamie seeks out more radical experiments in finding himself: renouncing his family, joining a political movement, and eventually even talking to God. Carried forcefully along by Clare Sestanovich's exquisite prose, these two characters are pulled into separate spheres but circle the same questions: how to define their values and find their purpose, how to create a sense of self while discovering what they owe to society and to the cause of justice. These reckonings propel a surprising story of intimacy across time, exploring the alchemy of identity, the mystery of destiny, and the difficult journey of finding faith--in yourself, and in the world.

'Sestanovich’s elegant prose takes seriously the quiet unrest that can ravage a life' - Raven Leilani, author of LusterA Best Book of the Summer in The Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly,Vogue, Esquire and Refinery29A university student is flying home to visit her family when she strikes up an odd, ephemeral friendship with the couple next to her on the plane. A mother prepares for her son's wedding, her own life unravelling as his comes together. A long-lost stepbrother's visit prompts a family's reckoning with its old taboos. In these eleven powerful stories, thrilling desire and melancholic yearning animate women’s lives – from the brink of adulthood, to the labyrinthine path between twenty and thirty, to middle age, when certain possibilities quietly lapse. Tender, lucid and piercingly funny, Objects of Desire is a collection pulsing with subtle drama, rich with unforgettable scenes, and alive with moments of recognition, each more startling than the last - a spellbinding debut that announces a major talent.'A debut story collection of the rarest kind . . . you wish that every single entry could be an entire novel.' — Entertainment WeeklyClare Sestanovich named one of The National Book Foundation's '5 under 35'.

"A debut story collection of the rarest kind ... you wish that every single entry could be an entire novel." --Entertainment Weekly Fresh, intimate stories of women's lives from an extraordinary new literary voice, laying bare the unexpected beauty and irony in contemporary life A college freshman, traveling home, strikesup an odd, ephemeral friendship with the couple next to her on the plane. A mother prepares for her son's wedding, her own life unraveling as his comes together. A long-lost stepbrother's visit to New York prompts a family's reckoning with its old taboos. A wife considers the secrets her marriage once contained. An office worker, exhausted by the ambitions of the men around her, emerges into a gridlocked city one afternoon to make a decision. In these eleven powerful stories, thrilling desire and melancholic yearning animate women's lives, from the brink of adulthood to the labyrinthine path between twenty and thirty, to middle age, when certain possibilities quietly elapse. Tender, lucid, and piercingly funny, Objects of Desire is a collection pulsing with subtle drama, rich with unforgettable scenes, and alive with moments of recognition each more startling than the last--a spellbinding debut that announces a major talent.

Named a ‘Most Anticipated Book of 2021’ by Lit Hub and The Millions'Sestanovich’s elegant prose takes seriously the quiet unrest that can ravage a life' - Raven Leilani, author of Luster‘Astonishing – one of the best story collections I’ve read in a long time’ Brandon Taylor, Booker-shortlisted author of Real Life A college freshman, flying home, strikes up an odd, ephemeral friendship with the couple next to her on the airplane. A long-lost stepbrother’s visit to New York prompts a reckoning with a family’s old taboos. An office worker, exhausted by the ambitions of the men around her, emerges into the gridlocked city one afternoon to make a decision. A wife, looking at her husband's passwords neatly posted on the wall, realizes there are no secrets left in their marriage. In these eleven short stories, thrilling desire and melancholic yearning animate women’s lives – from the brink of adulthood, to the labyrinthine path between twenty and thirty, to middle age, when certain possibilities quietly elapse. With powerful observation and mordant humour, Clare Sestanovich opens up a fictional world where intimate and uncomfortable truths lie hidden in plain sight. Objects of Desire is a book pulsing with subtle drama, rich with unforgettable scenes and alive with moments of recognition, each more startling than the last – a spellbinding, brilliant debut.

Named a ‘Most Anticipated Book of 2021’ by Lit Hub and The Millions'Sestanovich’s elegant prose takes seriously the quiet unrest that can ravage a life' - Raven Leilani, author of Luster‘Astonishing – one of the best story collections I’ve read in a long time’ Brandon Taylor, Booker-shortlisted author of Real Life A college freshman, flying home, strikes up an odd, ephemeral friendship with the couple next to her on the airplane. A long-lost stepbrother’s visit to New York prompts a reckoning with a family’s old taboos. An office worker, exhausted by the ambitions of the men around her, emerges into the gridlocked city one afternoon to make a decision. A wife, looking at her husband's passwords neatly posted on the wall, realizes there are no secrets left in their marriage. In these eleven short stories, thrilling desire and melancholic yearning animate women’s lives – from the brink of adulthood, to the labyrinthine path between twenty and thirty, to middle age, when certain possibilities quietly elapse. With powerful observation and mordant humour, Clare Sestanovich opens up a fictional world where intimate and uncomfortable truths lie hidden in plain sight. Objects of Desire is a book pulsing with subtle drama, rich with unforgettable scenes and alive with moments of recognition, each more startling than the last – a spellbinding, brilliant debut.

"A debut story collection of the rarest kind ... you wish that every single entry could be an entire novel. --Entertainment Weekly Fresh, intimate stories of women's lives from an extraordinary new literary voice, laying bare the unexpected beauty and irony in contemporary life A college freshman, traveling home, strikesup an odd, ephemeral friendship with the couple next to her on the plane. A mother prepares for her son's wedding, her own life unraveling as his comes together. A long-lost stepbrother's visit to New York prompts a family's reckoning with its old taboos. A wife considers the secrets her marriage once contained. An office worker, exhausted by the ambitions of the men around her, emerges into a gridlocked city one afternoon to make a decision. In these eleven powerful stories, thrilling desire and melancholic yearning animate women's lives, from the brink of adulthood to the labyrinthine path between twenty and thirty, to middle age, when certain possibilities quietly elapse. Tender, lucid, and piercingly funny, Objects of Desire is a collection pulsing with subtle drama, rich with unforgettable scenes, and alive with moments of recognition each more startling than the last--a spellbinding debut that announces a major talent.