Set in the summer of 1945, Truman Capote's 'Summer Crossing' weaves a tale of youthful exploration and forbidden love in a post-war New York City. The story follows Grady McNeil, a wealthy debutante, who embarks on a passionate affair with a Jewish parking lot attendant, defying societal norms of her privileged upbringing. As their romance intensifies, Grady grapples with her identity and the constraints of her social class. Capote's vivid prose captures the essence of summer enchantment, nostalgia, and the bittersweet pangs of first love. Will Grady's rebellion lead her to freedom or heartache, and what secrets will be uncovered during this transformative season?
By Truman Capote
Published: 2005
""In the dance of youth and longing, we often forget the steps of tomorrow, trapped in the exquisite chaos of our desires.""
“Witness the coming together of Truman Capote’s voice, the electric-into-neon blaze that is surely one of the premier styles of postwar American literature.”—The Washington Post Book World “A great breezy read . . . with Capote’s trademark wit, but also with genuine youthful awe at the exhilaration of late-forties New York.”—New York A lost treasure only recently found, Truman Capote’s Summer Crossing is a precocious, confident first novel from one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers. Set in New York just after World War II, the story follows a young carefree socialite, Grady McNeil, whose parents leave her alone in their Fifth Avenue penthouse for the summer. Left to her own devices, Grady turns up the heat on the secret affair she’s been having with a Brooklyn-born Jewish war veteran who works as a parking lot attendant. As the season passes, the romance turns more serious and morally ambiguous, and Grady must eventually make a series of decisions that will forever affect her life and the lives of everyone around her.
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“"In the dance of youth and longing, we often forget the steps of tomorrow, trapped in the exquisite chaos of our desires."”
Summer Crossing
By Truman Capote
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Truman Capote (1924-1984) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, celebrated for his distinctive literary style that blends meticulous detail with a keen sense of psychological insight. He is best known for his groundbreaking works 'In Cold Blood,' a pioneering true crime narrative that explores the brutal 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Kansas, and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' a novella that captures the extravagant and complex lives of upper-class New Yorkers. Capote's work often features a focus on character development and an elegant prose style, blending elements of fiction and non-fiction, which earned him critical acclaim and a lasting legacy in American literature.
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