The Making of Katharine Hepburn with Novelist Priya Parmar in conversation Paula McLain

“A bold, breathtaking novel about the making of Katharine Hepburn—vivid, daring and full of emotional bite. This is a novel you press into your best friend’s hands the moment you finish.” —Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of Skylark and The Paris Wife 

Buxton Books is excited to welcome author Priya Parmar to the bookstore for an evening celebrating her new novel, The Original. Parmar will be in conversation with New York Times bestselling author Paula McLain.

On Wednesday, April 29, we invite you to join us in the bookstore as we welcome author Priya Parmar for a discussion of her new novel, The Original, which centers 1930s Hollywood and the life and career of the iconic film star Katharine Hepburn.

In a starred review, Booklist calls it, "(A) vivid fictionalization... With silky finesse, perceptive insight, and genuine affinity, Parmar empathically recreates the magical, mythical world of 1930s Hollywood, embracing what's known and interpreting what can only be imagined about the lives of two people who epitomized epic stardom."

When she comes to celebrate the book's release with us at the bookstore, Parmar will be in conversation with New York Times bestselling novelist Paula McLain. McLain, herself a historical fiction writer, will lead us in discussion with Parmar, digging into the inspiration, research (comprised of archival material, biographies, and letters) and writing of The Original. 

For readers who loved, Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet or Maggie Shipstead's Great Circle, comes a book, conversation, and voice not to miss! We hope you'll join us!

About The Original:

This stunning novel plunges into the tumultuous life of screen icon Katharine Hepburn, a star whose fierce independence, passionate spirit, and fluid sexuality shattered Hollywood’s rules and redefined what it meant to be a woman in film.

When young Katharine Hepburn loses her beloved brother, she makes two decisions: she will become famous, and she will never let anyone hurt her again. Leaving home at twenty-one to pursue an acting career Kate is lured to Hollywood, accompanied by her lover, Laura.

Los Angeles in the early 1930s is a town full of secrets and Kate has plenty to hide. Soon she is scooped into the studio system and launched as a star—but stars must play by the rules and Kate, brilliant, bisexual, and strong-willed, refuses to conform.

Surrounded by a legendary circle of intimates, including the powerful David and Irene Selznick, charming and romantically conflicted actor Cary Grant, ambitious director John Ford, and millionaire tycoon Howard Hughes, Kate navigates a web of sex, ambition, and betrayal. As her career ascends, she faces an agonizing choice: be the star everyone wants her to be, or risk everything to become the woman she always was.

The author of New York Times Notable Book Vanessa and Her Sister has created a propulsive, emotionally charged novel exploring the cost of fame. With sharp prose and unforgettable characters, The Original is a story of love, aspiration, and the price of living authentically.

About Priya Parmar:

Priya Parmar is the author of the novels Exit the Actress and Vanessa and Her Sister, a New York Times Notable Book, and is co-author of the musical Sylvia (London Old Vic), nominated for the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. She divides her time between Hawaii and Connecticut with her family and four rescue dogs.

About Paula McLain:

Paula McLain is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin, as well as two collections of poetry and a memoir. Her work has been published in over thirty-five countries, and featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Town & Country, Real Simple, and elsewhere.