The Editor

The best-selling author of Lily and the Octopus returns with a tale about a struggling writer who, with a little assistance from the most famous woman in America, lands his big break.

James Smale, a writer attempting to break through in 1990s New York City, eventually sells his manuscript to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, an editor at a big publishing house. Jackie, who goes by Mrs. Onassis at work, is enamored with James's frank autobiographical book, which reveals his own broken family. But James can't force himself to finish the manuscript as the book's impending release threatens to shatter his already shaky ties with his partner and family.

James strikes up an unexpected friendship with Jackie, who also encourages him to write a genuine conclusion and return home to face the truth about his relationship with his mother. After a long-kept family secret comes to light, he comes to the conclusion that his editor might have had more in mind than what was written on the page.

This hilarious, moving, and incredibly original book from the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus tells the story of a novelist whose connection with his well-known book editor would alter him forever as a writer and a son.