ANITA DE MONTE LAUGHS LAST
1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by privileged students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider. Students of color, like her, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.
But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student,
1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by privileged students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider. Students of color, like her, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.
But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.
Moving back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both women, Anita de Monte Laughs Last is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love, and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite.
- Flatiron Books
- Hardcover
- March 2024
- 352 Pages
- 9781250786210
Buy the Book
$28.99
About Xochitl Gonzalez
Xochitl Gonzalez is the New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming. Named a Best Book of 2022 by The New York Times, TIME, Kirkus, Washington Post, and NPR, Olga Dies Dreaming was the winner of the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize in Fiction and the New York City Book Award. Gonzalez is a 2021 MFA graduate from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her nonfiction work has been published in Elle Decor, Allure, Vogue, Real Simple, and The Cut. She is a staff writer for The Atlantic, where her work has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. A native Brooklynite and proud public school graduate, Gonzalez holds a BA from Brown University and lives in her hometown of Brooklyn with her dog, Hectah Lavoe.
Praise
“Part campus novel, part ghost story, Xochitl Gonzalez’s second novel fearlessly takes on racism and misogyny in the rarefied world of fine art and art history… Anita de Monte Laughs Last boldly questions the choices behind what we are taught and demands that the complete story be disclosed.” —BookPage (starred review)
“Gonzalez has that particular penchant for navigating perspectives in a voice that’s at once delightfully humorous and sobering.” —Elle
“An uncompromising message, delivered via a gripping story with two engaging heroines.” —Kirkus (starred review)
“Gonzalez’s newest novel is a dynamic exploration of love, art, and power.” —LitHub
“A new captivating novel that explores othering, erasure, power, and legacy through the lens of two women of color navigating the art scene years apart.” —TODAY.com
Discussion Questions
- Anita de Monte Laughs Last alternates primarily between Anita’s first-person POV, Raquel’s third-person POV, and Jack Martin’s first-person POV. Consider the role that structure plays in this novel.
- How does each characters narration in the audiobook enhance the characters’ experiences?
- Hip hop and art history are both huge influences in Raquel’s life. How are these two mediums a catalyst in her storyline and in her relationship with those around her?
- Discuss the role of family in this novel, specifically Raquel and Nick’s disparate upbringings. How do their families – both their parents and younger sisters – inform their decisions, actions, and behaviors?
- In the chapter titled “The Ceiba Tree” readers get a glimpse of Anita’s first transition into a bat. “Bats can keep their form. Their physicality beyond the ceiba. They can travel back and forth. Be visible. Then invisible. Fly both here and there”. How does this chapter become a climactic moment in Anita’s storyline? What does her descent into the lives of others give her permission to do and how does she wield this power towards the end of the book?
- Anita’s career as an artist becomes overshadowed in Jack’s presence but, by the end of a novel, there’s a community of people adamant to make sure Anita gets the flowers she deserves. Which of these moments of reclamation resonated the most with you, and why?
- This novel explores so many themes–from feminism, to power, to artistry. Pick a theme and discuss its relation to the title of the book.