An exhilarating debut novel set under the dazzling lights of late 1950s Broadway, where a controversial new musical pushes the boundaries of love, legacy, and art.
Growing up in rural Wisconsin, Eleanor O'Hanlon always felt different. In love with musical theater from a young age, she memorized every show album she could get her hands on. So when she discovers an open call for one of her favorite productions, she leaves behind everything she knows to run off to New York City and audition. Raw and untrained, she catches the eye of famed composer Don Mannheim, who catapults her into the leading role of his new work, "A Tender Thing," a provocative love story between a white woman and black man, one never before seen on a Broadway stage.
As word of the production gets out, an outpouring of protest whips into a fury. Between the intensity of rehearsals, her growing friendship with her co-star Charles, and her increasingly muddled creative--and personal--relationship with Don, Eleanor begins to question her own naïve beliefs about the world. When explosive secrets threaten to shatter the delicate balance of the company, and the possibility of the show itself, Eleanor must face a new reality and ultimately decide what it is she truly wants.
Pulsing with the vitality and drive of 1950s New York, Emily Neuberger's enthralling debut immerses readers right into the heart of Broadway's Golden Age, a time in which the music soared and the world was on the brink of change.
Genre: Historical
Growing up in rural Wisconsin, Eleanor O'Hanlon always felt different. In love with musical theater from a young age, she memorized every show album she could get her hands on. So when she discovers an open call for one of her favorite productions, she leaves behind everything she knows to run off to New York City and audition. Raw and untrained, she catches the eye of famed composer Don Mannheim, who catapults her into the leading role of his new work, "A Tender Thing," a provocative love story between a white woman and black man, one never before seen on a Broadway stage.
As word of the production gets out, an outpouring of protest whips into a fury. Between the intensity of rehearsals, her growing friendship with her co-star Charles, and her increasingly muddled creative--and personal--relationship with Don, Eleanor begins to question her own naïve beliefs about the world. When explosive secrets threaten to shatter the delicate balance of the company, and the possibility of the show itself, Eleanor must face a new reality and ultimately decide what it is she truly wants.
Pulsing with the vitality and drive of 1950s New York, Emily Neuberger's enthralling debut immerses readers right into the heart of Broadway's Golden Age, a time in which the music soared and the world was on the brink of change.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"Emily Neuberger has penned a Broadway melody with great depth and humanity. She captures 1950s New York with characters who are heartfelt and provocative. A Tender Thing is a perfect choice for book clubs any and everywhere." - David R Gillham
"An ode to New York, and to Broadway, and to an era long gone, A Tender Thing is a wonderful confection of a book. It’s a stirring and assured debut." - Joshua Henkin
"A delightful trip to 1950’s New York with a climax that thrills and surprises. Bold, bright Eleanor O’Hanlon is a joy to follow from the farm to the Great White Way." - Lauren Kate
"A standing ovation for A Tender Thing. I was swept away by this riveting novel about friendship, love, womanhood, race, privilege, and what it means to make art. This book will make your heart sing." - Lara Prescott
"Everyone loves a good story about a plucky young woman trying to make her dreams come true in New York -- and with A Tender Thing, Emily Neuberger delivers a spectacular one! No superficial tale, Neuberger's ingenue must grapple with the complexities of love, race, and sexuality as she tries to make it big on the 1950s Broadway stage. A perfect book club read, as you'll want to discuss these characters with friends after you've devoured the novel." - Suzanne Rindell
"Emily Neuberger makes a smashing debut with this ode to 1950s Broadway, in which the fabled farm girl with big dreams finds herself in an altogether new story, rich with moral complication and unexpected twists. Neuberger portrays the midcentury theater world with conviction and authenticity, and creates a nuanced, unpredictable cast of characters that live on in the reader’s imagination long after the final page. A Tender Thing is that rare book that’s written from the heart, and still has something important to say about the human condition." - Beatriz Williams
"An ode to New York, and to Broadway, and to an era long gone, A Tender Thing is a wonderful confection of a book. It’s a stirring and assured debut." - Joshua Henkin
"A delightful trip to 1950’s New York with a climax that thrills and surprises. Bold, bright Eleanor O’Hanlon is a joy to follow from the farm to the Great White Way." - Lauren Kate
"A standing ovation for A Tender Thing. I was swept away by this riveting novel about friendship, love, womanhood, race, privilege, and what it means to make art. This book will make your heart sing." - Lara Prescott
"Everyone loves a good story about a plucky young woman trying to make her dreams come true in New York -- and with A Tender Thing, Emily Neuberger delivers a spectacular one! No superficial tale, Neuberger's ingenue must grapple with the complexities of love, race, and sexuality as she tries to make it big on the 1950s Broadway stage. A perfect book club read, as you'll want to discuss these characters with friends after you've devoured the novel." - Suzanne Rindell
"Emily Neuberger makes a smashing debut with this ode to 1950s Broadway, in which the fabled farm girl with big dreams finds herself in an altogether new story, rich with moral complication and unexpected twists. Neuberger portrays the midcentury theater world with conviction and authenticity, and creates a nuanced, unpredictable cast of characters that live on in the reader’s imagination long after the final page. A Tender Thing is that rare book that’s written from the heart, and still has something important to say about the human condition." - Beatriz Williams
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