Super Short Summary

Set in modern-day Charlottesville and New York, Picturing Will by Ann Beattie follows precocious five-year-old Will, his mother Jody who dreams of becoming a celebrity, her composed lover Mel, and Will’s father Wayne, a womanizer. The story navigates the moral complexities and odd situations created by their differing motivations and the relational dynamics shaped by modern freedoms. Various characters grapple with substance abuse and emotional neglect.