THE COMEBACK

A 22-year-old Hollywood star—discovered in London as a young teen—tries to come to terms with the molestation and bullying she experienced early in her acting career.

Grace Turner seems to have it all—beauty, wit, acting chops, and a reputation as the muse for famous Hollywood director Able Yorke. However, behind that public facade, she is spiraling out of control as she uses alcohol and drugs to escape her life. And then, on the cusp of awards season, she disappears from the public eye. She spends the year quietly—and soberly—going through the routine that life at her parents’ house in Anaheim allows. She has a complicated relationship with everyone and everything: her parents, whom she distanced herself from as her star was rising; her sister, who was too young when she left home to be a friend; her husband, whom she holds up as a saint; the various women who try to become her friends but might only be pretending; and the drugs and alcohol that allowed her to distance herself from Able and the ugliness behind the glossy, picture-perfect scenes. When Grace returns to Los Angeles after her year away, she struggles with her future. Able and his wife, Emilia, loom large in her psyche—he as her tormentor and benefactor, and she as the woman who was supposed to look over her, but didn’t. Is Grace seeking revenge and an opportunity to destroy Able completely? A comeback? She isn’t sure herself. Readers familiar with the downfall of film producer Harvey Weinstein will see the influence of current events on this story, which is filled with tension and stress as the reader tries to predict what will happen next. Not all readers will be pleased with the ending.

A raw look at the toll that molestation takes on victims.