The Little Clan

January 8, 2018
Cohen’s charming debut sparkles with humor, heart, and an irresistibly irreverent love of books and bibliophiles. Ava Gallanter—young, unaware of her own attractiveness, and clinging to the outdated etiquette, clothing, and traditions of her favorite novels—works as a librarian at an old-fashioned Manhattan social club, The Lazarus Club, that caters to an aging clientele. The setting should be ideal for an aspiring author, but Ava can’t seem to set pen to paper. When her beautiful, impulsive, and chaotically magnetic best friend, Stephanie, bursts back into her life, Ava trades her comfortable but stagnant solitude for a chance to build the bustling literary salon she’s always dreamed of running. Unfortunately, their visions don’t align. Stephanie drags Ava into a Gatsbyesque series of extravagant parties masquerading as book readings, leaving a trail of destruction—both physical and emotional—in their wake. Plunged into credit card debt, with both her employment and housing threatened, Ava begins to question everything she has always believed about herself, including her literary ambitions, her friendship with Stephanie, and even her sexuality. Without either the Lazarus Club’s stability or Stephanie’s schemes to hold her up, Ava must find a way to forge her own identity. Cohen’s vibrant, engaging style gives her characters an appealing depth that will leave readers longing for a sequel.

March 1, 2018
Raised on Edith Wharton and Sherlock Holmes novels, shy Ava Gallanter has found a home as the librarian for the eccentric and dusty Lazarus Club. Nestled amid vintage furniture and books, she's hoping to finally write her own 18th-century novel.Unfortunately, so far her characters simply stare out of windows and at the floor. Ava realizes she has to make something happen not only for her fictional Agustin and Anastasia, but also for herself. Luckily, her vivacious friend Stephanie returns to town, spies a hidden door in Ava's library, and the two discover a secret room. Hoping to shake off her Nebraska roots and gain some glamour, Stephanie convinces Ava to renovate the room and open a private literary club. Entranced by the possibilities, Ava eagerly christens the salon The Little Clan, in honor of her beloved Proust, but Stephanie renames it The House of Mirth despite Ava's warnings that the name will bring bad luck. The hidden room turns out to be the perfect place to host parties straight out of The Great Gatsby. Funding is a problem precariously dependent on Stephanie's ability to mesmerize venture capitalists who may someday bring in the necessary funds--and until then, Ava can rack up debt on her very first credit card. Soon enough Ava has fallen for Ben--a talented artist Stephanie convinces to build a beautiful bar for the club but never pays--and the parties arouse the ire of the Lazarus Club's elderly members. Debut novelist Cohen has concocted a delightful domestic drama: Enigmatic Ben, irrepressible Stephanie, and lots of quirky characters surround Ava, whose mind is a fascinating place to visit as she learns to bring her love for all things literary into a world of shallow readers.A charming tale sure to delight book lovers.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 15, 2018

Bookish and awkward, Ava Gallanter seems to have hit the jackpot when she is offered a job running the library of a historic New York literary organization, the Lazarus Club. Although the position doesn't pay well, free lodging is part of the deal, as well as lots of time to work on her novel, which is set in the 19th century--Ava's preferred time period. Even though the situation seems ideal, she is bored. To make matters worse, she's not writing her novel. Then estranged best friend Stephanie returns from Europe. Soon Ava's life starts to change. She is so enchanted by Stephanie's charm and good looks, and Stephanie is so good at manipulation that she easily convinces Ava that their plans to start a Victorian-themed literary salon at the Lazarus Club will go exactly as Ava has always dreamed. Will Ava catch on to Stephanie's ways before her world is completely upended? VERDICT Cohen's debut hits the perfect note for this tale of eccentric frenemies. For fans of women's fiction and coming-of-age stories.--Karen Core, Detroit P.L.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2018
Ava Gallanter fits in perfectly among the quirky residents of the Lazarus Club, the charming nineteenth-century wreck where she both lives and works. When Ava's profligate pal Stephanie, a wannabe model, drifts back into New York, she brings with her an idea that could revitalize both the Lazarus Club and Ava's nonexistent social life: a literary salon called the House of Mirth. But while Ava envisions a gathering place for like-minded, highbrow readers, Stephanie sees an opportunity to raise her profile and get her picture in the New York Times style section. What begins as a great idea quickly turns to chaos as the chasm between the women's ideals expands, bringing the House of Mirth tumbling down. Cohen deftly skewers the pretentious (and often superficial) characters who inhabit this rarefied circle: the well-respected professor with a taste for attractive undergrads, the hipster carpenter, the starving poet, the bartender-communist, and Ava and Stephanie themselves?two polar opposites who need each other and can't stand each other in equal measure. This smart, witty first novel will delight readers who enjoy quirky coming-of-age stories with a dash of highbrow humor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)