Kate Fagan’s The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the latest pick for Reese Witherspoon’s book club.
Fagan’s debut novel, published Tuesday by Atria, tells the story of a bestselling author who writes her books under a pen name. Her real identity is a closely guarded secret, but she soon realizes she might have to stop running from her past. A critic for Kirkus called the novel “a smart and enticing fictional memoir.”
Witherspoon announced the novel’s selection on Instagram, writing, “Have you ever felt like you were living more than one life? That’s exactly what Cate Kay is grappling with in our January pick.…She’s a literary sensation, the face behind a blockbuster film trilogy, but her life isn’t what it seems. This story swept me away with its big dreams, love, and unexpected twists.”
Also on Instagram, Fagan reacted to her book’s selection, writing, “How I feel about this book is almost too complicated to explain. I found out it would be the @reesesbookclub @reesewitherspoon pick less than a month after my mom died and the joy and grief is so intertwined that I never feel one without the other. It’s unclear to me how to celebrate this amazing thing without also feeling the sting of her absence. Actually, I don’t think it’s possible.…The morning she was admitted to the hospital she said, ‘Nothing will stop me from coming on your book tour.’ I very much expect her to keep that promise.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
