Time's a Thief

Set in the vibrant and gritty backdrop of 1980s New York, this coming-of-age novel follows Francesca "Chess" Varani, a bright but vulnerable Barnard freshman. As she navigates a turbulent friendship with her dramatic classmate Kendra Marr-Löwenstein and becomes entwined with Kendra's glamorous yet chaotic family, including her sophisticated mother Clarice and troubled brother Jerry, Chess embarks on a journey filled with emotional highs and lows. Narrated from the reflective perspective of a financially struggling Chess in 2008, the story explores themes of growth, love, and the poignant consequences of choices made and unmade.