In her appealing second novel, actress O'Connor (Like China) spotlights the lives of three aspiring actors in New York City in the late 1970s. Narrator Robert, who hails from New Jersey, is handsome and determined; New England trust-funder Patrick is darkly dramatic; and beautiful 21-year-old Irene, fresh off the bus from Kansas, will do anything to become a star. They quickly form an inseparable trio—Patrick and Robert, already friends, swoop in on newbie Irene after acting class and take her out for cheesecake—consoling each other over tough auditions, rejection and heartbreak, and celebrating their all-consuming love for acting. As the years pass, Robert falls in love with Irene, "the hub of the wheel of our threesome"; Patrick descends into a depression and seeks out abusive lovers; and Irene decides to sleep her way to acting success. Just as Robert and Irene finally admit their love for one another, Patrick's troubled past comes back to haunt him. In the midst of everything, Robert accepts a part in a soap opera: "I had succeeded not because I was a finer actor than Irene and Patrick," he reflects, "nor because I was smarter or stronger, but because I refused to give up. I managed to accept the rules." Robert's fame and glory shift the balance; when he moves to Los Angeles, he leaves his best friend and great love behind. But when Patrick's despair grows too deep and Irene realizes how much she misses Robert, the three friends must decide how far they'll go to save themselves and the family that they have formed. O'Connor's clean, affecting prose and her book's moving conclusion will stay with readers long after the curtain drops. Agent, Julie Barer. Author tour. (Sept.)
