Rules of Civility

Did you ever have a year when the decisions you made--almost without thinking--affected the course of the rest of your life?

Amor Towles' book Rules of Civility begins in a jazz club in New York City on New Year's Eve 1937. Katey Kontent and Eve Ross are spending their carefully budgeted nickels on martinis, when they meet Tinker Grey. Wealthy and handsome, Tinker Grey enjoys exploring their haunts even as he offers Katey and Eve access to the fine dining, expensive parties, and beautiful homes of the elite upper class. Until an accident changes the course of their relationships.

The book is beautifully written with great dialogue and it offers a terrific exploration of social structure at the end of the depression. Katey narrates the book; she's witty, grounded, has a strong sense of self, and she takes chances. Even the minor characters in the book are well-drawn. And Amor Towles has compiled a jazz play list for the book, including Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman and Charlie Parker. So put on some music, mix up a shaker of martinis and step into 1938...