Mutual Interest

Olivia Wolfgang-Smith (Author) , Laurel Lefkow (Narrator)

Mutual Interest

Olivia Wolfgang-Smith (Author) , Laurel Lefkow (Narrator)

Hardback ~~£22.00~~ £19.80 Ebook (Epub & Mobi) £15.40 Audiobook ~~£22.00~~ £19.80

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Description

"A timeless queer love story and a meditation on power, capitalism, and the flow of history . . . This novel is a revelation and a joy.” -Anna North, New York Times bestselling author of Outlawed

A classic in the making: a mesmerizing novel about marriage and ambition, sexuality and secrecy, and the true costs of building an empire.

At the turn of the 20th century, Vivian Lesperance is determined to flee her origins in Utica, New York, and avoid repeating her parents' dull, limited life. When she meets Oscar Schmidt, a middle manager at a soap company, Vivian finds a partner she can guide to build the life she wants-not least because, more interested in men himself, Oscar will leave Vivian to tend to her own romances with women.

But Vivian's plans require capital, so the two pair up with Squire Clancey, scion of an old American fortune. Together they found Clancey & Schmidt, a preeminent manufacturer of soap, perfume, and candles. When Oscar and Squire fall in love, the trio form a new kind of partnership.

Vivian reaches the pinnacle of her power building Clancey & Schmidt into an empire of personal care products while operating behind the image of both men. But exposure threatens, and all three partners are made aware of how much they have to lose.

For readers of Hernan Diaz's Trust and Colm Tóibín's The Magician, with echoes of Gustave Flaubert and E.M. Forster, Mutual Interest is a beguiling story of queer romance, empire, and power.

Product details

Published	08 May 2025
Format	Hardback
Edition	1st
Extent	336
ISBN	9781639733323
Imprint	Bloomsbury Publishing
Dimensions	235 x 156 mm
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Olivia Wolfgang-Smith

Olivia Wolfgang-Smith is the author of Glassworks,…

Narrator

Laurel Lefkow

Witty . . . a great deal of fun.

New York Times Book Review
A queer take on the classic Gilded Age historical novel.

Town & Country, "The 36 Must Read Books of Winter 2025"
You'll soon fall in love with the cast of odd and honest souls. We never expected to be so captivated by the ins and outs of the early 20th-century soap market, but we were hanging on every word.

Oprah Daily
Sharp and lively . . . Mutual Interest is a clever and powerful evocation of the consequences of hidden lives and suppressive social norms.

The Washington Post
For those (like me) eagerly awaiting The Gilded Age Season 3 . . . Mutual Interest follows a lavender marriage that blossoms into a business partnership, charting the ascent of a wellness brand as thoughtfully as it renders the love stories (both platonic and romantic) that shape its history.

Bustle, "The Most Anticipated Books Hitting Shelves This Winter"
Hernan Diaz's Trust but make it gay? Narrated in the sly-eyed style of Plain Bad Heroines? I am absolutely buying what this book is selling, an epic and intimate tale of three secretly queer aspiring business titans who band together-and in the case of two of them, marry-to build an empire.

Electric Lit, Most Anticipated Queer Books For Spring 2025