Emily Everett’s stunning debut novel is an intricate exploration of what happens when we try to rewrite ourselves — and the inevitable cost of leaving our pasts behind. With prose as precise as it is evocative, Everett crafts a uniquely compelling narrative about class anxiety, impostor syndrome, and the pursuit of belonging in a world that seems designed to keep outsiders at bay.

Anna Byrne, a recent college graduate, arrives in London with two suitcases and a lifelong dream. She has always seen London through the lens of Jane Austen novels — a romanticized escape from her reality. When she finally lands there for her master’s degree, she’s determined to reinvent herself completely.

Byrne grew up poor, lost her mother a few years ago, and no longer speaks to her father. Without a safety net, she bartends and tutors to make rent. But when the wealthy Wilders invite her to Saint-Tropez over the December holidays to give private lessons to their teenage daughter, Pippa, Byrne is introduced to a high-end way of life and a glamorous group of people her own age through Pippa’s older sister, Faye.

When Byrne returns to London, the Wilders’ kindness grows, and they offer her the chance to housesit for their home in Highgate. As she meets more people in the Wilder orbit and assumptions about who she is spiral, so do the deceptions Byrne must maintain if she’s going to stay in this dream where she’s found herself.

But the precarity of her situation extends beyond convincing everyone that she belongs — her student visa means she must keep her grades up so after graduation she’ll be able to get a two-year post-study extension.

What elevates this novel above typical class-clash narratives is Everett’s nuanced understanding of the psychology behind social climbing. Byrne isn’t simply drawn to wealth; she’s seeking a world where money isn’t a constant worry, where people move with confidence and ease.

One of the novel’s chief strengths is its portrayal of characters across class lines. The Wilders — particularly Faye and Pippa — could easily have become caricatures of privilege. Instead, Faye has her own insecurities, masked by surface confidence, while teenage Pippa possesses surprising depth and insight.

The tension between the worlds represented by the various characters creates the novel’s most compelling moments.

Readers can feel the nervous edge with which Byrne moves through the world, making this a gripping read from start to finish.