Blush - Jamie Brenner Page 0,134

Danielle Steel, and—in the rare entry of a male author—Master of the Game by Sidney Sheldon (“He’s so good, he’s an honorary woman,” Vivian had declared).

It had been Sadie’s suggestion they return to Judith Krantz for their May book.

“I’ve been curious about it since I saw the title in your old journal, Gran,” she’d said.

Sadie had started her own journal about the book club, recording the novels they read and their thoughts on them all. She told Leah that when it was finished, she would put it in the library.

“Who knows who might discover it one day,” Sadie said.

“Yes. Your granddaughter will be scandalized,” Vivian had teased.

Mistral’s Daughter turned out to be Leah’s favorite pick so far, an epic saga about three generations of women—Maggy, Teddy, and Fauve—set against the backdrops of New York City and war-torn France. It was everything a novel should be.

“Okay, thoughts?” Leah said, opening to the notes she’d jotted in the inside flap of her paperback.

“That first description of Maggy is just lovely,” Vivian said. She opened her copy and began reading: “Certain great beauties age gracefully; others hang on relentlessly to a particular period in their past and try to maintain themselves there, withering, nonetheless, just a little every year; and still others lose their beauty quite suddenly, so that it can only be fleetingly reconstructed in the imagination of those who meet them. Maggy Lunel had aged agelessly . . .”

Leah listened, a movement out in the field catching her eye. It was hard to see, and she thought at first she had imagined it. But there was her father, wandering among the plants heavy with fruit, just on the cusp of ripeness, the second vintage of Summer Blush just waiting to be pressed. He stopped, as if sensing her gaze.

For a moment, they shared a smile.

Acknowledgments

Every book has its challenges, but weeks away from finishing this novel, Covid-19 shut down New York City. How could I keep my head in the imagined world of Blush when the real world was in crisis? My first call was to my aunt and uncle, Harriet and Paul Robinson, who immediately offered up their home in Philadelphia. My cousin Alison Anmuth sprang into action getting me settled. I love you all so much. Thank you for always being there for me.

Now, to the people who made Blush possible in the first place: A huge thank-you to Putnam’s Sally Kim, SVP and publisher, who brought me into the PRH family. Sally, it’s a privilege to work with you. Thank you for getting this story from day one, for your thoughtfulness and steady hand every step of the way. You are an author’s dream. Thank you to Margot Lipschultz, who thoughtfully read the earliest drafts of this novel. Thank you to my editor, Gabriella Mongelli, who got me to the finish line during challenging times. I look forward to our work together! As I write these words, the journey of this book is just beginning, and I know there will be many more hardworking hands on deck in the coming months. So, Putnam team, thank you in advance!

I don’t think you’d be holding Blush in your hands if it weren’t for my agent, Adam Chromy. Thank you for being with me from the beginning and through every up and down. Our conversations about storytelling are my ballast. This book, in particular, gave me a moment of narrative crisis, and you solved it with a stroke of genius. Writing is solitary, but I never feel alone thanks to you.

Winemaking is an art and a craft and I knew absolutely nothing about it when I set out to write this novel. The person who changed that for me is Trent Preszler, author of the memoir Little and Often. Trent, as CEO of Bedell Cellars, brought me into the world of winemaking. He opened his home to me and shared his incredible breadth of knowledge and became a dear friend in the process. Thanks to the spectacular team at Bedell Cellars, in particular winemaker Rich Olsen-Harbich and vineyard manager Donna Rudolph, for taking the time to explain their complex and fascinating jobs. Thank you to Whitney Beaman for showing me a bit about how wine gets to the restaurant table. And, of course, what’s wine without cheese? To that end, thank you to Lauren Toth of Murray’s Cheese. Lauren, you got me addicted to Kunik!

Blush is a story about the transformative power of books. I can honestly say that reading Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins as a young teenager changed the course of my life. They opened my eyes to the world beyond my suburban upbringing. They shaped my ideas about living a passionate life chasing dreams. So the ultimate thank-you to both of them.

While I never got to meet the authors who captured my imagination in my youth, I have been incredibly fortunate to get to know the rock-star writers who inspire me in adulthood: Mary Kay Andrews, Elin Hilderbrand, Nancy Thayer, and Adriana Trigiani. Each of these powerhouse women has shown me incredible generosity. Despite their nonstop work, they’ve always found time to offer a blurb or a supportive email. Elin graciously included me in one of her own book events several years ago, and I will remember that night for the rest of my life. It’s a true gift when people you admire professionally turn out to be more impressive as human beings than they are as artists.

Thank you to my pandemic Zoom crew: Susie Orman Schnall, Fiona Davis, Lynda Cohen Loigman, Amy Poeppel, Nicola Harrison, and Suzanne Leopold. I love you ladies.

To my daughter Bronwen: It’s amazing when the teacher becomes the student. Your passion for Clarice Lispector, Susan Sontag, and Julia Kristeva gave me the idea for Sadie. As hard as I try, I could never capture the true joy of our conversations in fiction. You inspire me. To my daughter Georgia: I love you and I’m so proud of the young woman you’ve become this year. Thank you for being strong during our time apart.

Finally, to my husband: My stories of love and family on the page would ring hollow without you in my life. I love you.

About the Author

Jamie Brenner is the author of five novels, including The Forever Summer and The Wedding Sisters. She grew up in suburban Philadelphia on a steady diet of Jackie Collins and Judith Krantz novels, and later moved to New York City to live like the heroines of her favorite books. Jamie now divides her time between Philadelphia and Provincetown.

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