Innocence (A Novel)

From New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Tessaro comes a poignant, funny, and unforgettable story of real life, real love, and fantasy—and the changes they put you through.

1986. Starry-eyed and ready to take the world by storm, Evie Garlick leaves her small town of Eden, Ohio, to study drama in London, intent on becoming a star of the classical stage. But when she arrives in England, it quickly becomes clear she’s way out of her element—and completely unprepared for what fate has in store for her.

Luckily, her new flatmate, the larger-than-life Robbie, immediately takes the bewildered Evie under her wing. Glamorous and bohemian, Robbie’s unorthodox Greenwich Village upbringing and reckless lust for life both dazzle and astonish Evie. Soon the drama offstage in their small student flat is more exciting than any Broadway play. And when Evie meets Jake, a defiantly self-assured young musician bent on two things—success and her—she finds herself suddenly in far too deep, painfully in love, out of control, and yet thrillingly alive, questioning everything about herself—and her dreams.

2001. Robbie has been dead for five years, and Evie, now a single mother, is still living in London. Resigned to earning a living by teaching drama to night students, her life bears little resemblance to the one she’d imagined for herself fifteen years ago. Her carefully ordered routine and beloved son help to keep the memories and regrets at bay—most of the time. But when the past pays Evie a visit, she’s forced to confront the ambitious young woman she used to be and re-examine the choices she made…and those she couldn’t—in order to claim a new future.