Teens Rehearse For Adulthood In Wolitzer's 'Interestings'
Teen years are sort of a "rehearsal" for adulthood, author Meg Wolitzer tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross, and that's particularly true at the performing arts summer camp where her latest novel begins. It's 1974, and the main character, Jules, a newcomer to the camp, is invited into a circle of 15- and 16-year-olds who nickname themselves — with knowing irony — The Interestings.
The novel follows them through middle age, as Jules continues to see her life as ordinary, while a couple of the friends she made at the camp continue to seem special, lit by the aura that talent and recognition bring. The Interestings — a novel about lifelong friendship tinged with jealousy — comes out in paperback in March.
Wolitzer's other novels include The Position, about how the lives of four siblings are transformed when they accidentally discover that their parents have written a sex manual; and The Ten-Year Nap, about a group of highly educated working women who gave up their careers to raise their children.