Read by Jen Tullock

The summer that Nixon resigns, six teenagers at a summer camp for the arts form what seems likely to be a lifelong friendship. Decades later the bond remains, but so much else has changed. Through adolescence, the artistic interests and abilities of these six friends have all been indulged, encouraged, and celebrated. But the kind of creativity that is rewarded at age fifteen is not always enough to propel someone through life at age thirty - not to mention age fifty. For the group of friends who met and joined together because of a shared sense of being "interesting," this is a startling and sometimes painful realization. Jules Jacobson, an aspiring comic actress, eventually resigns herself to a more practical occupation as a therapist. Her friend Jonah, a gifted guitarist, puts aside music completely and becomes a mechanical engineer. In wild contrast, however, their two closest friends, now married to each other, have become shockingly successful and famous. Ethan, a brilliant animator, has a hit TV show and franchise. His wife, Ash, has found lasting critical respect as a stage director. What's more, Ethan and Ash also now possess the means and influence that allow their artistic dreams to keep expanding. But what becomes of friendships when two of the friends reach a level of startling success and wealth, and the others do not? And what happens when the person you envy most deeply is also someone you genuinely love?

Mode of access: World Wide Web