Megan Abbott, "Give Me Your Hand"

Megan Abbott discusses her novel, "Give Me Your Hand" at Politics and Prose on 7/17/18.

Abbott’s You Will Know Me appeared on many of 2016’s Best Of lists, and now the Edgar Award-winning writer follows it with a taut psychological thriller that explores the nexus of friendship and competition, passion and science. The story follows Kit Owens and Diane Fleming, who bond in a high school chemistry class. Brilliant, but always slightly off, Diane inspires Kit to pursue a scientific career, then reveals a secret that shatters their friendship. Ten years later, post-docs, the two meet again when they vie for a spot on a team researching a PMS-like disorder that leads women to destructive acts. As the emotions from the women’s youth come flooding back, so does the terrible secret, and Abbot expertly charts the rising tensions to their surprising end.

Megan Abbott is the award-winning author of nine novels, including You Will Know Me, The Fever, Dare Me, and The End of Everything. She received her PhD in literature from New York University. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Guardian, and The Believer. Currently, she is a staff writer on HBO's new David Simon show, The Deuce. She lives in New York City.

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Produced by Tom Warren