THE OTHER BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

Caroline Bock was once a movie-loving television executive. She worked for twenty years in the cable television industry notably at AMC, Bravo, and IFC. She is the author of Carry Her Home, a short story collection (winner of the Fiction Award from the Washington Writers’ Publishing House), and the young adult novels Before My Eyes and LIE. A graduate of the City College of New York and their MFA in Fiction program and Syracuse University, where she studied creative writing with Raymond Carver, she still loves going to the movies. The Other Beautiful People is her first novel for adults.

“Aaron Sorkin, move over. Caroline Bock’s beautiful people are fast-talking, witty, and driven. Old-movie references pepper the prose and fuel both the humor and the warmth of this gorgeous novel. No-nonsense New Yorker Amy Greene tries to keep her balance in a time of societal and personal tumult as she navigates a choice of three loves and two crucial voices from her past. The book is an unstoppable ride, a thrilling read.” —Virginia Hartman, author of The Marsh Queen

“With a traumatized and ailing husband in the Washington DC suburbs, and a beloved job working for a classic film network in midtown Manhattan, Amy Greene spends her days traversing the Northeast corridor trying to make sense of her complicated family life. Set against the backdrop of a forever changed post-9/11 landscape, Caroline Bock’s The Other Beautiful People is an ode to New York City in all its manic grittiness. It is also an ode to work families and nuclear families as well as a testament to the power of a single aching, forbidden, cinematic kiss.” —Susan Coll, author of eight novels, most recently, The Literati, Bookish People and Real Life and Other Fictions

“Perfect for readers who enjoy a good workplace drama as well as those who love old movies, Bock’s latest is set in the New York offices of a cable network called the Cinema Channel…A remarkable journey through one woman’s mind.” —Kirkus Reviews

1. Was there ever a time in your life that you had a work ‘family’? Reflect on how you managed your work and family life. Does Amy’s situation reflect your experiences? Do you think they are still true to working women today? What has changed for working women in recent decades?
2. There are certain dates in American history, November 22, 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and September 11, 2001, that are ingrained in our national psyche. What do you think of the characters’ reactions to that day? What memories do you have of these days? How do you think we all changed as a result of them?
3. Amy is haunted in this novel. On a literary level, what purpose do ghosts play? On a literal level, how do the ghosts, especially her Pop, inform the novel? How do her childhood memories impact her current psychological state? Do you ever feel haunted by a person from your past?
4. What do you think of Amy’s big life decisions in the novel? Do you agree or disagree with her choices about love, work, and family? Have you ever had to make these kinds of big life decisions? Where do you think Amy will be ten years from the end of the novel?
5. If you could pick a classic movie star for yourself, who would it be and why? Do you have a favorite classic movie? What makes a movie a ‘classic’?