The After Party

Cece and Joan have spent their entire lives together in Houston, Texas. Since their nannies were sisters, the girls happily shared all of their childhood activities, adolescent dreams and secrets. These two young ladies, in the early 1950’s, are part of an elite group of socialite’s that need to wear the right dress, marry the right man and have more than enough money. When unforeseen tragedy strikes Cece’s family, she is deeply immersed into Joan’s and her role of best friend quickly turns to that of handmaiden. Joan does whatever she pleases, whenever she pleases. She is beautiful, extremely rich and charming. The older she gets, the more wild she becomes and Cece can no longer cover up her faux pas. Joan’s secret life spirals out of control and leaves Cece devastated and lonely. This novel takes some outrageous turns through a sparkling debutante world, I have no doubt it existed then and still does now. The story, beautifully told by author Anton Disclafani, captures the essence of women, friendship, motherhood and loss. I was instantly drawn into the hearts of these characters. I could easily hear their voices with their soft southern drawl, and literally felt the Texas heat. Highly recommend - this is a fabulous summer read!