A boldly candid, raw portrait of a young woman’s search for meaning and purpose in an indifferent world.
Decisively aimless, self-destructive, and impulsively in and out of love, Elsie is a young woman who feels stuck. When her initial attempts to improve her life go awry, Elsie decides that a dramatic change is the only solution. Elsie uses an inheritance to support her as she travels to Paris and Sri Lanka, hoping to accumulate experiences, create connections, and discover a new way to live. Along the way, she meets men and women who challenge and provoke her towards the change she genuinely hopes to find. But in the end, she must still come face-to-face with herself.
“In Tennant-Moore’s sharp, confident debut novel, Elsie, a bright young woman in her 20s who is equal parts self-assured and self-destructive, isn’t afraid to name her feelings: “lust, rage, lust, rage”…Sophisticated and nuanced…Tennant-Moore provides no easy answers, deftly illustrating Elsie’s inner monologue as she tries to face up to herself and the people around her. The book has a broad appeal, and many young women will keep it stacked on their bookshelf…and cart it with them like a talisman.”―Publishers Weekly (starred review)