The Hopefuls
From the bestselling author of Girls in White Dresses, a glorious sendup of young D.C. and a blazingly honest portrait of a marriage. When Beth arrives in Washington, D.C., she hates everything about it: the confusing traffic circles, the ubiquitous Ann Taylor suits, the humidity that descends each summer. At dinner parties, guests compare their security clearance levels. They leave their BlackBerrys on the table. They speak in acronyms. And once they realize Beth doesn't work in politics, they smile blandly and turn away. But when Beth and her husband, Matt, meet a charismatic White House staffer named Jimmy, and his wife, Ashleigh, the four become inseparable, coordinating brunch, birthdays, and long weekends away. Then: as Jimmy's star rises higher and higher, their friendship and Beth's relationship with Matt is threatened by jealousy, competition, and the inevitable rumors.
Jennifer Close
Jennifer Close is the best-selling author of Girls in White Dresses and The Smart One. Born and raised on the North Shore of Chicago, she is a graduate of Boston College and received her MFA in fiction writing from The New School in 2005. She worked in New York in magazines for many years. She now lives in Washington, DC, and teaches creative writing at George Washington University.