Release Date: July 9, 2019

In the publishing world of the 1980s, Eve Rosen is stuck as an editorial assistant while yearning for her own writing career. Hoping that literary genius will rub off on her, she jumps at an invitation to a Cape Cod summer party hosted by New Yorker writer, Henry Grey, and his enigmatic poet wife, Tillie. At a summer home in the same town as her parents’, Eve begins to explore another world, full of artists, writers, and creatives.

Upon returning to the city and her normal life, Eve receives a rude awakening when she is passed up for a promotion. Driven by this rejection and her drive for something more, she agrees to work as Henry Grey’s research assistant for the rest of the summer. Relishing the chance to work alongside a writer she admires and break out of her mold, Eve becomes an intimate observer of the Grey’s house of literary acclaim. As the summer comes to a close, Eve and the rest of those close to the Grey’s look forward to the famed Book Party, where the exclusive guest list dress as famous or obscure literary characters. However, the night does not unfold as expected, and secrets and truths about the publishing world and Eve’s relationships come to light.

The Last Book Party is the debut novel of Karen Dukess and delivers a coming-of-age narrative any book lover will enjoy. The expressive use of place immerses you in Cape Cod, and the behind the scenes of publishing will keep the pages turning. This book is an exploration of what happens when ambition, experience, and youth collide.