All That Life Can Afford

Everett debuts with an exquisite retelling of Pride and Prejudice, about an American tutor in contemporary Europe. Raised working-class in Northampton, Mass., Anna Byrne wins a full scholarship to the town’s elite Smith College. Soon after graduating, her mother dies, and Anna, despite her father’s disapproval, moves to London to pursue a master’s in literature. Her job as an SAT prep tutor introduces her to 16-year-old Pippa, whose mother invites Anna to their Saint-Tropez home over the Christmas break. Among Pippa’s older sister Faye’s friends are the dashing and brooding Callum and the gallant and attentive Theo. In France, Faye’s buddies treat Anna as “the help,” but back in London, Theo introduces her to his cohort as a friend. This lie of omission, which Anna does nothing to correct, leads to serious trouble. Callum, who comes from humble Portuguese roots, is consistently kind and honest to Anna and, like Mr. D’Arcy, looks askance on her eventual romance with Theo, a two-timing cad. Much of the deceptively breezy narrative unfolds against a backdrop of lush scenery and lavish dinners and parties. Along the way, Everett sharply conveys Anna’s acute and sometimes self-destructive longing for acceptance. This erudite romance is deeply satisfying. Agent: Mollie Glick, CAA. (Apr.)