The Original

“In this reimagining of Katharine Hepburn’s life, the loss of her brother to suicide when she was 13 informs all that follows: her drive to live large, her complex sexuality, the aristocratic bearing she projected onscreen. Filled with intrigue and Old Hollywood glamour, it’s an addictive read.”—People

“A bold, breathtaking novel about the making of Katharine Hepburn—vivid, daring, and full of emotional bite. This is a novel you press into your best friend’s hands the moment you finish. Priya Parmar is a true original, and this novel proves it.”—Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of Skylark

“A riveting and unputdownable journey through fame, rebellion, and the relentless pursuit of authenticity. Priya Parmar has written a novel that lingers in the mind and heart. . . . As thought-provoking as it is beautiful.”—Christina Baker Kline, New York Times bestselling author of The Foursome

“The magnificent Priya Parmar has written an unforgettable novel about a beloved American icon. The Original is an imaginative and daring leap into the Golden Age of Hollywood star machine. Lights! Camera! Read!”—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The View from Lake Como

“A brilliant, ambitious woman determined to live—and love—on her own terms, in an era when bold and unconventional choices could destroy a career overnight . . . Fans of early Hollywood will devour this novel.”—Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Women

“A luminous, fiercely intimate portrait of a fascinating and enigmatic legend carving her own path . . . Parmar’s prose is poetic, electric, and deeply affecting.”—John Searles, New York Times bestselling author of Single Girls

“I read The Original with real delight—Priya Parmar’s complex evocation of Hepburn’s youth and early career, of the woman behind the icon, is tender, fierce, and beautiful. What a terrific novel!”—Claire Messud, New York Times bestselling author of This Strange Eventful History

“(A) vivid fictionalization . . . With silky finesse, perceptive insight, and genuine affinity, Parmar empathically recreates the magical, mythical world of 1930s Hollywood, embracing what’s known and interpreting what can only be imagined about the lives of two people who epitomized epic stardom.”—Booklist, starred review

“[Priya] Parmar drops us into the thick of pre-Hays Code Hollywood, where careers were made and broken, fantasies were fabricated and fractured, and skeletons lurked not only in closets, but also on sets and in bedrooms.”—Bookpage, starred review

“Historical fiction fans will be drawn to this immersive portrait of the legendary actor.”—Publishers Weekly