- American author R. L. Maizes has written a thoroughly absorbing and fascinating novel. She documents in detail the stories of two authors who, in their new and as yet unpublished novels, explore the sexual abuse of young employees by their bosses.
- P. J. Larkin's novel is inspired by the awful workplace experience of her younger sister, Mia. George Dunn, an editor at the small publisher her agent sent the manuscript to, really liked the book but, mysteriously, rejected it because in his opinion the #metoo thing was becoming tiresome.
- George himself is also an author, and for ten years or so has been working on a book that is based on his own experience of sexual abuse while he was a young teenage intern in a female Senator's office in Washington. That experience traumatised him. But his book is highly successful under auction and he lands an advance of $1 million.
- Word spreads however that he stole parts of Larkin's story and incorporated them into his own. She posts this on social media:
Hey @GeorgeDunn congratulations on the sale of UP THE HILL. Your book sounds a lot like my book HALLS OF POWER, which my agent sent you. Not good enough to publish but good enough to steal?
- We're deeply immersed into all dimensions of the publishing industry - its authors, agents, editors, managers, advances, contracts, and unfortunately, lawyers.
- The press are captivated by the controversy and it becomes an absorbing media story for months. But the publishers of both novels are very reluctant to proceed until the legal issues are settled.
- Maizes is across all the issues in the industry and very accurately brings them to life. The drama is captivating. But she's written not just an industry story but a deeply human one as well. The details of the abuse and its tragic effects on the lives of the victims are rendered with emotional and psychological depth.
- Highly recommended.
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