From Barnes & NobleHas an absorbing novel ever been set before in the admission office of an Ivy League school? Jean Hanff Korelitz (The White Rose) achieves that miracle by probing into the hidden history of idealistic, harried admission officer Portia Nathan. As she buries herself in her job, her 16-year-relationship with the English department chairman fizzles, which only redoubles her zeal. On a recruiting trip to an experimental school, she slips between the covers of one of the teachers, an almost spontaneous liaison that sets off a domino fall that eventually endangers her entire career and equilibrium.
Publishers WeeklyPortia Nathan, the overly dedicated 38-year-old Princeton admissions officer, narrator of Korelitz's overthought fourth novel, finds purpose in her gatekeeper role.
