Cleopatra and Frankenstein

Cleo is losing control of New York. She attends a new party every other night, to be sure, but she hardly knows anyone. She doesn't even have enough money for cigarettes, and her student visa is almost about to expire. She then meets Frank, though. Frank, who is twenty years older, has all the wealth and extravagance that Cleo does not. He gives her the option to apply for a green card, the freedom to paint, and the chance to be happy. She presents him with a life full of creativity and beauty, maybe giving him an excuse to drink less. Right now, he's all she needs.

Frank and Cleo dive headfirst into a romance they are unable to keep up with. It changes their life and the lives of everyone around them. For example, Frank's financially dependent sister sets up sugar daddy dates after being cut off, or Cleo's best buddy finds it difficult to accept his gender identity after her marriage. In the end, everything is altered—for better or worse—by this accidental encounter between two strangers outside of a New Year's Eve celebration.

The remarkable and achingly realistic debut novel Cleopatra and Frankenstein explores the impulsive choices that mold our entire existence and the faulty relationships that result from unanticipatedly wonderful evenings.