powered by Crowdcast
May 26, 2020

Elliot Ackerman

Harvard Book Store's virtual event series welcomes ELLIOT ACKERMAN—author of the novels Waiting for Eden and Dark at the Crossing—for a discussion of his latest novel, Red Dress in Black and White. He will be joined in conversation by MATT GALLAGHER, author of the acclaimed novel Youngblood.

Details

Catherine has been married for many years to Murat, an influential Turkish real estate developer, and they have a young son together, William. But when she decides to leave her marriage and return home to the United States with William and her photographer lover, Murat determines to take a stand. He enlists the help of an American diplomat to prevent his wife and child from leaving the country—but, by inviting this scrutiny into their private lives, Murat becomes only further enmeshed in a web of deception and corruption.

As the hidden architecture of these relationships is gradually exposed, we learn the true nature of a cast of struggling artists, wealthy businessmen, expats, spies, a child pulled in different directions by his parents, and, ultimately, a society in crisis. Riveting and unforgettably perceptive, Red Dress in Black and White is a novel of personal and political intrigue that casts light into the shadowy corners of a nation on the brink.

About Author(s)

Elliot Ackerman is the author of the novels 2034Waiting for EdenDark at the Crossing, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and Green on Blue. His writings have appeared in EsquireThe New YorkerThe Atlantic, and The New York Times Magazine, among other publications, and his stories have been included in The Best American Short Stories. He is both a former White House Fellow and Marine and served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. He divides his time between New York City and Washington, D.C.

Matt Gallagher is a former U.S. Army captain and veteran of the Iraq War. He is the author of the novel Youngblood, which was a finalist for the 2016 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He's also the author of the Iraq memoir Kaboom and coeditor of, and contributor to, the short fiction collection Fire & Forget: Short Stories from the Long War. His work has appeared in the New York Timesthe AtlanticEsquirethe Paris Review Daily, and Wired, among other places.