After a heist she planned lands two men she loves in prison, a woman flees paris and assumes a new identity, furtively checking news from her hometown as her web of deception unravels. A graduate of new york university and the helen zell writers. When hosting a book club meeting about a daring art heist, a catandmouse. Rebecca scherm is the author of unbecoming, a novel. Rebecca scherms wonderful novel unbecoming has a mesmerizing narrator, grace, who discovers that her gift and it is a real gift is for deceit. She lives in michigan, where she is working on her second novel, beta. Rebecca scherm s wonderful novel unbecoming has a mesmerizing narrator, grace, who discovers that her gift and it is a real gift is for deceit. Scherm the west end book club will be on its own, without a librarian to help guide the book discussions, for the next six months. Unbecoming edgar award nominee for best first novel startlingly inventive. The novel that precedes it is infinitely less interesting, primarily because of problems with pacing. The heist went bad, but not before she was on a plane to prague with a stolen canvas rolled in her bag.
Unbecoming by rebecca scherm penguin random house audio. She received her mfa from the university of michigan, where she was also a postgraduate zell fellow. Dec 01, 2015 rebecca scherms wonderful novel unbecoming has a mesmerizing narrator, grace, who discovers that her gift and it is a real gift is for deceit. Tana french rebecca scherms extraordinarily confident voice and style, this novels depth of. Grace, the narrator of this finely written, surefooted debut by rebecca scherm, strikes a delicate balance between setting up expectations and revelations from the first page while dropping surprise bombshells all the way to the end of the book, even as she plays with the emotions of those around her. With echoes of alfred hitchcock and patricia highsmith, rebecca scherms mesmerizing debut is sure to entrance fans of gillian flynn, marisha pessl, and. Rebecca scherm reclaims the femme fatale in her first novel, a heist thriller with legs. Scherms debut novel traces the transformation of a smalltown american girl into a professional.
Thats how many books were ordered ahead of time and are still available. Jan 04, 2016 these qualities are all in her writing, and tana french agrees with me, blurbing rebecca scherms debut novel, unbecoming, as follows. Unbecoming is an assured exploration of the intricate, intense, risky processes that go into creating identityand into dismantling it. And both marilyn stasio in the new york times and hallie ephron in the boston globe were in the middle, sort of duplicating our book clubs reactions to the book. Rebecca scherm reclaims the femme fatale in her first novel, a heist thriller. The writing is never uncertain, and takes the reader into masterful plotting and unrelenting tense pages. In garland, tennessee, two young men have just been paroled.
Shes got no papers and little money, so why not pick julie to remove valuable gems from pieces and replace them with baubles. Rebecca scherms wonderful novel unbecoming has a mesmerizing narrator, grace, who. Unbecoming by rebecca scherm is a psychological thriller involving an art heist, a catandmouse waiting game, and a transformation of a smalltown girl from tennessee in the seemingly endless parade of novels breathlessly proclaimed as the next gone girl which is a book i adored, for the record, its hard not to view each newcomer askance. She lives in michigan, where she is working on her second novel.
Edgar award nominee for best first novel startlingly inventive. The story of grace, a nice southern girl who ends up planning an art theft from the local heritage house with the help of her tooloyal boyfriend, riley, and his friends. Unbecoming by rebecca scherm releases on thursday and i highly recommend it. A graduate of new york university and the helen zell writers program at the university of michigan, scherm has also written for the new york times, jezebel, and the toast. The epilogue to scherms debut novel would have made a terrific short story, or a film starring cary grant and grace kelly the novel that precedes it is infinitely less interesting, primarily because of problems with pacing. And so, in paris, begins a catandmouse waiting game as graces web of deception and lies unravels and she becomes another young woman entirely. She published her first novel, unbecoming, in 2015. Jan 10, 2018 discussion questions for unbecoming by r. Both were jailed for a crime that grace planned in exacting detail. An interview with rebecca scherm, author of unbecoming. This is the discussion guide for unbecoming by rebecca scherm.
Unbecoming is an intricately plotted and psychologically nuanced heist novel that turns on suspense and slippery identity. Discussion questions for unbecoming by rebecca scherm issued by the publisher. But my brain keeps going back to tartts book now being read by book clubs everywhere. Edgar award nominee for best first novelstartlingly inventive. Rebecca scherm audio books, best sellers, author bio. With echoes of alfred hitchcock and patricia highsmith, rebecca scherm s mesmerizing debut is sure to entrance fans of gillian flynn, marisha pessl, and donna tartt. With a wellresearched plot and illuminating prose, unbecoming is an atmospheric adventure from start to finish.
Rebecca scherm is the critically acclaimed author of the novel unbecoming. These qualities are all in her writing, and tana french agrees with me, blurbing rebecca scherms debut novel, unbecoming, as follows. Scherms pulsequickening debut follows crafty grace as she flees a love triangle and a heist gone awry, leaving her husband and a frienda man she secretly lovesto take the rap. Unbecoming by rebecca scherm the pretty good gatsby. What i like is when an author, such as scherm, utilizes the fine art world as a plot point, but also allows a character to. Ruth lattas most recent novel, most of all, is available on amazon kindle.
I grew up with a very closeknit group of friends, and we were all very. A graduate of new york university and the helen zell writers program at the university of michigan, scherm has written for the new york times, jezebel, and the toast. I will definately be in line for rebecca sherms next book and probably be rereading unbecoming. Jan 20, 2015 but my brain keeps going back to tartts book now being read by book clubs everywhere. Unbecoming is the story of a heist, and especially what happens afterwards. Unbecoming edgar award nominee for best first novelstartlingly inventive. Rebecca scherm s debut novel unbecoming cannot escape comparison to donna tartts pulitzer prize winner the goldfinch, with the young, morally confused protagonists, the antique restorationart heistforgery plot, and the circumnavigated settings paris by way of nyc and garland, tennessee.
In truth, home s gar and, tennessee, where two young men have just been paroled. Subscribe to the oprahs book club newsletter sign up for the oprahs book club newsletter get more stories like this. Book club unbecoming by rebecca scherm on the grubby outsk rts of paris, grace restores bricabrac, mends teapots, and resets gems. Shes working off the books for a shady antique restorer in paris, and shes introducing herself as julie from california, just. Kate atkinson on the grubby outskirts of paris, grace restores bricabrac, mends teapots, resets gems. About the author rebecca scherm is the critically acclaimed author of the novel unbecoming. Apr 04, 2016 unbecoming by rebecca scherm is a psychological thriller involving an art heist, a catandmouse waiting game, and a transformation of a smalltown girl from tennessee in the seemingly endless parade of novels breathlessly proclaimed as the next gone girl which is a book i adored, for the record, its hard not to view each newcomer askance. Shes brilliant, generous, and direct, is incisively, huntingly curious, plainly dissatisfied with dull conclusions, and is also very funny. What did the book club think of rebecca scherms unbecoming. Read it with a friend because youll want someone to discuss it with after. Sure, donna tartt explored the art world to an extent in the goldfinch, but i dont think back on that book fondly, despite its pulitzer prize status. The story begins in france, where julie is restoring old jewelry and other antiques. With echoes of alfred hitchcock and patricia highsmith, rebecca scherms mesmerizing debut is sure to entrance fans of gillian flynn, marisha pessl, and donna tartt. Jan 10, 2016 unbecomings characters are fullyrounded creations, and the novel is so smoothly written, suspenseful and wellorganized, that it is hard to believe it is rebecca scherms first novel.
Jan 08, 2016 what did the book club think of rebecca scherms unbecoming. She works next to her only friend in what turns out to be a chop shop. Whether a coincidence or by design, it almost seems like a calculated effort by ms. Rebecca scherms unbecoming, and more the new york times. Rebecca scherms debut novel, unbecoming, involves an art heist, but scherm doesnt indulge us with the uncomplicated pleasures weve come to anticipate from this subgenre. Whether a coincidence or by design, it almost seems. She received her mfa from the university of michigan. Regularly, furtively, she checks the hometown paper. She calls herself julie, says shes from california, and slips back to a rented room at night. Amy gentry in the chicago tribune sort of captured our dilemma about character disagreement about grace. Unbecomings characters are fullyrounded creations, and the novel is so smoothly written, suspenseful and wellorganized, that it is hard to believe it is rebecca scherms first novel. Please do not assign your class to post book reports on bookbrowse. She works next to her only friend in what turns out to be a. In rebecca scherms first novel, unbecoming, we learn right away that something is eerily out of place in the life of our protagonist, grace.
January 22, 2015 when you stopped trying to be one perfect person, you could be many. On the grubby outskirts of paris, grace restores bricabrac, mends teapots, resets gems. They committed a robbery back in hometown garland,tennessee that grace planned and got caught. A thriller, a psychological study, and a love story, this novel is an unusually intelligent and suspenseful book. A thrilling debut novel about how far well go to protect. Shes working off the books for a shady antique restorer in paris, and shes. Unbecoming opens in paris with our protagonist grace known as julie now living under the radar, afraid that her past will catch up with her. Bookpage from the first page, you know rebecca scherm is the real thing. I had no idea what was going to happen from one page to the next. From the first page, you know rebecca scherm is the real thing. Unbecoming by rebecca scherm discussion guide penguin. Dec 01, 2015 in garland, tennessee, two young men have just been paroled. Rebecca scherms unbecoming is a heist tale, a bildungsroman, a love story, and above all. As in real life, the uncertain days are overdosed with risky choices made to regain control of precarious circumstances, and narrowing outcomes.
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