The Exhibitionist

THE TIMES (UK) NOVEL OF THE YEAR
Named A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Guardian, the Telegraph, and the Sunday Times (UK)

Charlotte Mendelson's The Exhibitionist is a "furiously funny" novel (Sunday Express, UK) about a marriage between two artists, Lucia and Ray, which begins to unravel over the course of one weekend.

Meet the Hanrahan family, gathering for a momentous weekend as famous artist and notorious egoist Ray Hanrahan prepares for a new exhibition of his art-the first in many decades-and one he is sure will burnish his reputation for good. His three children will be there: eldest daughter Leah, always her father's biggest champion; son Patrick, who has finally decided to strike out on his own; and daughter Jess, the youngest, who has her own momentous decision to make. And what of Lucia, Ray's steadfast and selfless wife? She is an artist, too, but has always had to put her roles as wife and mother first. What will happen if she decides to change? For Lucia is hiding secrets of her own, and as the weekend unfolds and the exhibition approaches, she must finally make a choice about which desires to follow.

The Exhibitionist is the latest, extraordinary novel from Charlotte Mendelson, a dazzling exploration of art, sacrifice, toxic family politics, queer desire, and personal freedom.

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 07/04/2023
Pages: 304
Weight: 0.8lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.20w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781250286932


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2023
Library Journal 05/01/2023 pg. 85
Publishers Weekly 05/08/2023
Shelf Awareness 07/07/2023

About the Author
CHARLOTTE MENDELSON has written four novels and one non-fiction book about her tragic gardening obsession, Rhapsody in Green. Her novel, Almost English, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction. When We Were Bad was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her second novel, Daughters of Jerusalem, won both the Somerset Maugham Award and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. She has written for The Guardian, Financial Times, and is the gardening correspondent for the New Yorker. She lives in London.