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Independent publisher Moonflower Books has acquired the debut novel, Piece of my Heart, from supermodel and 1960s fashion icon Penelope Tree, scheduled for May 2024.
It will be published in hardback, e-book, and audiobook. It was acquired by Moonflower publisher and editor Christi Daugherty from Jason Bartholomew at The bks Agency and will be Moonflower’s lead commercial title for spring 2024.
The synopsis reads: “Vogue cover model, David Bailey muse and face of the Swinging Sixties, Penelope Tree was discovered at the age of 17. She became one of the leading style icons of the decade.
"An honest and strikingly moving exploration of what it takes to make it in the fashion scene, Piece Of My Heart is a coming-of-age story peopled with larger than life characters from fashion, high society and film. Penelope’s story looks with brutal honesty at issues including eating disorders and unhealthy relationships, as well as the damaging and dizzying impact of sudden fame.”
The book is aimed at readers of Daisy Jones and the Six (Cornerstone) by Taylor Jenkins-Reid and City of Girls (Bloomsbury) by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Daugherty said: “I’m excited to share Piece of My Heart with the world. Penelope’s story has everything – youth, glamour, desire, elegance, pain and loss. It’s an extraordinary rollercoaster ride through the wild 1960s, and readers are going to love it.”
Tree Said: “Piece of My Heart is a novel about the trouble with appearances. Born into a world of great privilege, my protagonist Ari becomes a top model in the 1960s and the lover of a well-known photographer. Several years later, extreme circumstances compel her to look for a life that doesn’t depend on wealth, image or the man she loves.”
Bartholomew said: “Penelope’s ife spans some of modern culture’s most iconic moments. Piece of My Heart jumps alive thanks to Penelope’s amazing life story.”
Winner of the IPG’s Best Newcomer award 2023, Moonflower was launched in 2021 by author Daugherty and her husband film-maker, Jack Jewers.