The Fundamentals of Play — Caitlin Macy

In this remarkable debut -- hailed as a Great Gatsby for the end of the twentieth century -- Caitlin Macy introduces a new Lost Generation struggling to secure a place among the aimless, twenty-something trust fund crowd.

Born into a family who lost its fortune but not its good name, George Lenhart toils away as a first-year Wall Street financial analyst, eager to settle an outstanding debt to fellow Dartmouth graduate Chat Wethers. But that isn't their sole bond: both are drawn to Kate Goodenow, a woman of fickle pleasures, old money, and enigmatic charm. Of the two, the wealthy blue blood Chat seems most poised to marry her. But then the ungainly Harry Lombardi, a new money computer whiz who has spent years bumbling his way into their social circle, proposes to Kate. Up to now, it's all been a game for Kate; only George realizes that Nick Beale, son of a Maine lobsterman, may or may not hold the winning cards.