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Moving from party to restaurant to glittering social event, Truman Capote and his flock of glamorous socialite “swans” rule 1960s New York, and Stephen Greco brings this gossipy, backstabbing, celebrity-filled world to life in a fascinating recreation of the tumultuous friendship between Capote and his most elegant swan, Lee Radziwill, sister to Jackie Kennedy.
On a Thursday morning in May 1961, a well-mannered twenty-one-year-old named Marlene enters the Fifth Avenue apartment of Lee Radziwill to interview for the position of housekeeper and cook. The stylish wife of London-based Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, Princess Lee is intelligent and creative, with ambitions beyond simply jet-setting. But to the public, she is always First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s little sister.
As Marlene becomes a trusted presence in the Radziwill household, she observes the dazzling array of famous figures who flit in and out of Lee’s intimate circle, including Gloria Vanderbilt, Rudolf Nureyev, Jackie and the President, Ari Onassis, Gore Vidal, Andy Warhol, and, most regularly, celebrated author Truman Capote. At the height of his fame following the success of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Truman has granted Lee place of honor in his flock of glamorous socialite “swans.”
Their closeness stems from an unexpected kinship. Both know too well the feeling of being second-best. Seeing his shadow in the woman he refers to as his most unconventional swan, Truman uses his influence and talent to try and make Lee a star.
Their bond deepens through the decade’s extraordinary events, from JFK’s assassination to the era-defining Black and White Ball. But Marlene, who Truman has taken under his wing as an aspiring writer, can see Truman’s darker side—especially his penchant for mining his friends’ private lives for material. And there are betrayals on either side that may signal the end not just of a friendship, but of the shared expectation that wealth and fame can shield against every heartbreak.
Genre: Historical
On a Thursday morning in May 1961, a well-mannered twenty-one-year-old named Marlene enters the Fifth Avenue apartment of Lee Radziwill to interview for the position of housekeeper and cook. The stylish wife of London-based Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, Princess Lee is intelligent and creative, with ambitions beyond simply jet-setting. But to the public, she is always First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s little sister.
As Marlene becomes a trusted presence in the Radziwill household, she observes the dazzling array of famous figures who flit in and out of Lee’s intimate circle, including Gloria Vanderbilt, Rudolf Nureyev, Jackie and the President, Ari Onassis, Gore Vidal, Andy Warhol, and, most regularly, celebrated author Truman Capote. At the height of his fame following the success of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Truman has granted Lee place of honor in his flock of glamorous socialite “swans.”
Their closeness stems from an unexpected kinship. Both know too well the feeling of being second-best. Seeing his shadow in the woman he refers to as his most unconventional swan, Truman uses his influence and talent to try and make Lee a star.
Their bond deepens through the decade’s extraordinary events, from JFK’s assassination to the era-defining Black and White Ball. But Marlene, who Truman has taken under his wing as an aspiring writer, can see Truman’s darker side—especially his penchant for mining his friends’ private lives for material. And there are betrayals on either side that may signal the end not just of a friendship, but of the shared expectation that wealth and fame can shield against every heartbreak.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"A thoughtful examination of the precarious bonds of friendship, fame and fortune. Greco's Such Good Friends stars two of the most notable personalities of their time, Truman Capote and Lee Radziwill, sister of Jackie Kennedy. Sweepingly detailed, with glamour and mystery woven throughout. Fans of Capote and the era of Camelot should be delighted." - Shana Abé
"A deeply immersive and endlessly fascinating novel grounded in a true story I only thought I knew. Greco constantly surprised me with fresh perspectives and new insights as the story unfolded, seamlessly weaving together fact and fiction... A deeply personal portrait of a friendship between two unique people whose lives encompassed world travel, high society, popular culture, and human frailty." - Kim van Alkemade
"A mesmerizing account of extravagance, glamour, privileged celebrity, and crushing betrayal. Greco's fabled protagonists capture the explosive alchemy between privacy and ambition, and the self-destructive caprices that upended an era." - C W Gortner
"Fascinating and effervescent... Using a brilliant narrative overlay, author Stephen Greco brings the charismatic author of Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood to life with the type of biting wit, trenchant social commentary, and keen grasp of human nature for which he was celebrated. Insightful, intriguing and endlessly entertaining, Such Good Friends captures a platonic yet deeply passionate friendship that had all the faultlines of a doomed romance, and the seismic influence of Capote and Radziwill on their respective worlds, and each other." - Natalie Jenner
"Such Good Friends seamlessly blends high society glamour with human frailties in this vivid recreation of celebrated writer Truman Capote's and New York socialite Lee Radziwell's complicated friendship that spanned from the 1950s into the 1970s." - Mary Ellen Taylor
"A deeply immersive and endlessly fascinating novel grounded in a true story I only thought I knew. Greco constantly surprised me with fresh perspectives and new insights as the story unfolded, seamlessly weaving together fact and fiction... A deeply personal portrait of a friendship between two unique people whose lives encompassed world travel, high society, popular culture, and human frailty." - Kim van Alkemade
"A mesmerizing account of extravagance, glamour, privileged celebrity, and crushing betrayal. Greco's fabled protagonists capture the explosive alchemy between privacy and ambition, and the self-destructive caprices that upended an era." - C W Gortner
"Fascinating and effervescent... Using a brilliant narrative overlay, author Stephen Greco brings the charismatic author of Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood to life with the type of biting wit, trenchant social commentary, and keen grasp of human nature for which he was celebrated. Insightful, intriguing and endlessly entertaining, Such Good Friends captures a platonic yet deeply passionate friendship that had all the faultlines of a doomed romance, and the seismic influence of Capote and Radziwill on their respective worlds, and each other." - Natalie Jenner
"Such Good Friends seamlessly blends high society glamour with human frailties in this vivid recreation of celebrated writer Truman Capote's and New York socialite Lee Radziwell's complicated friendship that spanned from the 1950s into the 1970s." - Mary Ellen Taylor
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