Under the Influence: A Novel
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Drinking cost Helen her marriage and custody of her seven-year-old son, Ollie. Once an aspiring art photographer, she now makes ends meet taking portraits of school children and working for a caterer. Recovering from her addiction, she spends lonely evenings checking out profiles on an online dating site. Weekend visits with her son are awkward. Heâs drifting away from her, fast.
When she meets Ava and Swift Havilland, the vulnerable Helen is instantly enchanted. Wealthy, connected philanthropists, they have their own charity devoted to rescuing dogs. Their home is filled with fabulous friends, edgy art, and dazzling parties.
Then Helen meets Elliott, a kind, quiet accountant who offers loyalty and love with none of her newfound friendsâ fireworks. To Swift and Ava, heâs boring. But even worse than that, heâs unimpressed by them.
As Helen increasingly falls under the Havillandsâ influenceârunning errands, doing random chores, questioning her relationship with ElliottâAva and Swift hold out the most seductive gift: their influence and help to regain custody of her son. But the debt Helen owes them is about to come due.
Ollie witnesses an accident involving Swift, his grown son, and the daughter of the Havillandsâ housekeeper. With her young sonâs future in the balance, Helen must choose between the truth and the friends who have given her everything.
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Joyce Maynard is the author of twelve previous novels and five books of nonfiction, as well as the syndicated column, âDomestic Affairs.â Her bestselling memoir, At Home in the World, has been translated into sixteen languages. Her novels To Die For and Labor Day were both adapted for film. Maynard divides her time between homes in California, New Hampshire, and Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
