By Writing Barn Intern Arub Butt
Summary (courtesy of Simon & Schuster): A modern retelling of The Golden Bowl by Henry James for fans of Sally Rooney and Kate Atkinson.
From their grand mansion on the Upper East Side to their magical private island in Long Island Sound, everything points to the Woodford family as being perfect and idyllic. Why, then, is there such tension in the air?
Enter Federico, a penniless Italian prince who is about to marry Emily Woodford, the only child of the family’s widowed patriarch, Henry. When Emily’s beautiful, enigmatic childhood friend, Christina, appears on the scene as a guest at their wedding, trouble begins — she and the Prince once had a passionate affair. Henry, however, is also enchanted by Christina. Now both Emily and her father must face a new reality, and learn whom they can, or cannot, trust.
Old-money New York is rife with drama and scandal, with the likes of the Woodfords being no exception. Frederico and Emily’s relationship begins as a sweet and true connection, each believing they have found an ideal partner in the other. Despite Emily’s unconventional clingy tendencies towards her father Henry, Frederico and Emily’s marriage is one of comfort and routine. This complacency may be Emily’s source of solace, but with the arrival of Christina, it may trigger Frederico’s downfall. The events that follow are shocking, scandalous, and morally outrageous, leaving the reader feeling astonished yet hungry for more.
We had the chance to read an early-release copy thanks to author Dinitia Smith, whose use of imagery to immerse the reader in the world and elaborate character backstories knit together a fabric of love and loss that envelope the novel. Reading through the tale of how Frederico, Emily, Henry, and Christina’s lives have intersected in the past, converging in the present day around the time of Emily and Frederico’s wedding was an interesting tale of how people come and go in our lives and the messy reality of emotional relationships.
I enjoyed reading about the various feelings of displacement among the characters, and how insecurities whispered from the subconscious inflamed underlying tensions that resulted in dreaded consequences. I also enjoyed the clear arc of character growth after certain events, especially with Emily. Her calm demeanor and borderline submissive behavior from the beginning dissolve into an adroit woman who refuses to cover for other’s sins — a change from her constant advocacy for him in the past. This shift in character for Emily is very satisfactory after her behavior in the larger part of the novel being ultra-menial towards everyone, particularly the men in her life.
Watching the ever-changing relationships between the characters kept me engaged and interested to see how things would turn out in the end. I also appreciated the ambiguous ending, where we didn’t know exactly how the characters’ stories would continue, leaving room for the imagination to take over. Dinita Smith’s world-building was a globe-trotter’s dream, taking the reader from the sunny streets of Italy to the hedonistic confidence of old-money New York, something I enjoyed experiencing from my New Jersey living room in the midst of a cold February. Including each character’s thought process, and therefore justification, for their actions helped me understand and empathize with the characters. Even when they were at their worst, their emotional state explained why they reacted or behaved the way they did, which was a welcome change from some stories I’ve read that have confusing character plots with little explanation.
I would recommend this book to those who love a little drama and can relate to Emily’s character arc of learning to stand up for herself in the face of adversity and being dealt hard truths.
The Prince will be released on March 1, 2022! Information on where to buy a copy can be found here.
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About the Writer:
Arub Butt has a BA in Political Science and History from Bryn Mawr College with a program concentration in children’s book writing. She’s from New Jersey, and when she’s not feverishly writing her next research paper she can be found doing photography, journaling, or ice skating.