City People

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Topp

Narrated by: Caroline McLaughlin, Shakira Shute, Inger Tudor, Jeannie Sheneman, Katie Ellis, Rebecca Gallagher, Merritt Hicks

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

From Perfectly Impossible author Elizabeth Topp comes an unforgettably searing novel about a band of mothers who are forced to reckon with themselves after the unexpected loss of one of their own.

When beautiful and successful Susan Harris jumps from the roof of her apartment building, she sets a tremor through her New York City mothers’ group that forces them all to look at one another with new cynicism: How could this have happened right under their noses? To one of them? Between her death and the harrowing private school admission season on the horizon, these women are forced to explore the hard truths about themselves.

Vic, a single mom with literary aspirations, is shocked and confused by the unexpected death of her best friend.

Bhavna, a makeup executive, tries to process Susan’s death while sacrificing everything to get her son into the school of his dreams.

Kara’s sister died by suicide years earlier, so she’s been down this road before—or so it seems.

Penelope and Amy are navigating a business deal when Susan dies, but is it worth the toll on their families?

And how will Chandice, battling cancer, come to terms with Susan’s death?

For these women, the loss of a fellow mother forces them to reexamine who they really are while the futures of their children hang in the balance.

©2023 Elizabeth Topp (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“[T]he novel’s scathing observations about Manhattan's wealthiest parents are wildly entertaining. An engrossing, unflinching critique of elite parenting in Manhattan.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Topp packs a lot into the narrative while thoroughly fleshing out each of her protagonists. There’s much to enjoy in this character-driven portrait of the high-stakes world of New York private school admissions.”—Publishers Weekly

“In this haunting novel, Topp delicately peels back the gilt layers of privilege to expose the true cost of living amid Manhattan’s 1 percent, where the things that matter—ease, self-esteem, and love—are always tantalizingly out of reach…promised in the next purchase, the next investment, but never delivered. Topp dares to ask, If your child’s admission to an elite school could be an entrée into this world, would you take it? Should you?”—Nicola Kraus, coauthor of The Nanny Diaries

I could not stop listening

This was such a good book very thought-provoking. I am hoping that they’ll be a sequel to. It may be about the lives of the children I want more.

The stories of the characters.

I liked some of the stories of the characters but was confused by the flow and the ending and how it all fit together.

Interesting

A little clunky due to how much is going on. Not that depressing considering the subject matter.

Might be the most depressing book I've ever read.

I found this book to be very depressing on multiple levels. Several threads in the storyline seemed to end all wrapped up with a bow prematurely, illogically & quite unsatisfyingly. At least one of the narrators voice was difficult (for me) to understand.