I%E2%80%99ll Take What She Has

Best friends since childhood, Annie and Nora, are now in their early 30s and staff members at a small New England boarding school. At an all-faculty turnout for the funeral of an elderly teacher%E2%80%99s cat, Wilde%E2%80%99s irreverent tone immediately emerges. But amusement fades when glamorous new hire Cynthia Cypress shows up, forcing overweight Annie and insecure Nora to handle their envy. Nora becomes Cynthia%E2%80%99s adoring friend while Annie is openly hostile, especially after Cynthia and her husband move into a larger campus house previously promised to Annie. Cynthia%E2%80%99s immediate popularity at the school and Nora%E2%80%99s friendship with her so intensify Annie%E2%80%99s acerbic mood that it nearly severs the latter pair%E2%80%99s friendship. As Annie explores her rage, Nora%E2%80%99s life assumes tragicomic proportions. Her outspoken sex therapist cousin, in town on an extended visit, reveals Nora%E2%80%99s intimate past to Cynthia%E2%80%99s husband while Nora%E2%80%99s straight-laced mother and 93-year-old grandmother descend on her and her long-suffering husband. With wit, compassion, and a keen ear for dialogue Wilde (This Little Mommy Stayed Home) explores issues of insecurity, envy, young motherhood, and friendship in this fast-paced work. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Literary Agency. (Feb.)