Talk Show

The daughter of Gina Wilde, a Grace Slick-style rock star, tries to reconcile herself with her mother's death in this second novel by Hartman (The Sure Thing). Set in contemporary Los Angeles and narrated by Wilde's lesbian 20-something daughter, Nita, this novel about grief and reconciliation is played out against a timely backdrop of tabloid culture and talk show TV, punctuated by lyrics from Gina's hit songs. After college, Nita takes work as a production assistant on the set of her peppery aunt Jane's notorious television talk show. In an attempt to counter the negative tabloid press about Gina Wilde's death, the two decide to confront the tabloids head-on with the talk show's season opener, and in the process discover exactly what motivated Gina's fatal drug overdose. Meanwhile, Nita becomes involved with Allie, a production associate on the set, until a tabloid article and Nita's preoccupation with the past come between them. While Hartman's portrayal of life behind the scenes of tabloid culture isn't particularly fresh, and the romantic relationships--Nita and Allie's, and Jane and her lover Samantha's--can seem stereotypical, Nita's internal dialogue, whether analyzing her mother's life and death or negotiating inner peace, is thoughtfully composed. A likable cast of supporting characters, including Julia, a drama-queen and has-been rock star who is Nita's on-again-off-again lover, round out the story. (Nov.)