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Hugo Whittier–failed poet and former
kept man–is a wily misanthrope with a taste for whiskey,
women, and his own cooking. Afflicted with a rare disease
that will be fatal unless he quits smoking, Hugo retreats
to his once aristocratic family’s dilapidated mansion,
determined to smoke himself to death without forfeiting any
of his pleasures. To his chagrin, the world that he has forsaken
is not quite finished with him. First, his sanctimonious older
brother moves in, closely followed by his estranged wife,
their alleged daughter, and his gay uncle. Infuriated at the
violation of his sanctum, Hugo devises hilariously perverse
ploys to send the intruders packing. Yet the unexpected consequences
of his schemes keep forcing him to reconsider, however fleetingly,
the more wholesome ingredients of love, and life itself.
Kate Christensen is also the author
of the novels IN THE DRINK and JEREMY THRANE.
Her essays and articles have appeared in various publications
including Salon, Mademoiselle, The Hartford Courant, Elle,
and the best-selling anthology THE BITCH IN THE HOUSE.
She lives in Brooklyn with her husband.
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