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Orion Fiction pre-empts ‘gloriously funny’ debut novel from Yablon
Orion Fiction has acquired Sylvia’s Second Act, the debut novel from Hillary Yablon.
Charlotte Mursell, publishing director, pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights from Florence Dodd at WME.
US rights have sold to Pamela Dorman at Pamela Dorman Books and translation rights have sold to Denmark (Cicero/Gyldendal), Portugal (Saida De Emergencia), Italy (Sperling & Kupfer/Mondadori), Norway (Bastion/Bonnier), Poland (Proszynski), Hungary (Konyvmolykepzo), Finland (Otava), Croatia (Sonatina), Czech Republic (Euromedia) and Germany (Blanvalet/PRH Germany). Orion Fiction will publish in hardback, e-book and audio in April 2024.
Sylvia’s Second Act is the story of 63-year-old Sylvia, whose life is turned upside-down by her cheating, money-swindling husband and instead of her falling apart, grabs life with both hands, moves to New York City and sets out to follow all her long-held dreams with her best friend, 77-year-old Evie, by her side.
The publisher continues: “Gloriously funny, highly relatable and enormously refreshing, Sylvia’s Second Act breaks the mould as Sylvia lives out the adventures and experiences usually saved for protagonists in their twenties. Think ‘Grace and Frankie’ meets ‘Sex and the City’, or Heartburn (Nora Ephron, Virago) meets Sophie Kinsella, this is perfect, escapist reading full of hijinks and humour." It received the Allegra Johnson Fiction Award at UCLA.
Mursell said: “Sylvia’s Second Act is the ultimate feel-good, belly-laugh inducing read. Finally, in Sylvia, we have an older heroine to root for as she takes New York by storm, discovers the friendships in life that truly matter – and embarks on a rollercoaster ride of modern dating.”
Yablon said: “Writing this story was such a joy for me. It is, in many ways, also a love letter to my mother, a woman who would have loved to have a second act of her own. She was such an inspiration for Sylvia – her humanity, her humour and her courage to live her best life no matter what.”
