Writers and Lovers

Writers & Lovers is a work of contemporary fiction published in 2020 by the American author Lily King. Selected for inclusion in book clubs such as Read with Jenna and Belletrist, Writers & Lovers is a New York Times bestseller. King’s three other novels—Father of The Rain (2010), The English Teacher (2005), and The Pleasing Hour (1999)—earned King the Maine Fiction Award, a finalist honor for the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the Whiting Writers’ Award, respectively.

Writers & Lovers is a compelling yet muted exploration of a young woman rediscovering herself in her creativity after loss. The novel explores issues of grief, romance, sexuality, and anxiety, and reflects upon the contemporary social problems in the life of a writer. Writers & Lovers twists the modern bildungsroman by presenting the story of a woman who must grow up again in the face of societal and emotional challenges.

Plot Summary

Casey Kasem is a 31-year-old struggling writer. Most of her friends have moved on to stable careers and marriages while Casey remains single and working as a server at a high-end restaurant in Boston. Furthermore, Casey has been working on a novel for six years inspired by her mother’s life in Cuba.