Praise for Emily Giffin

“Giffin’s writing is consumable and rich, balancing dialogue and descriptions to build a parallel world with convincing characters.”—Chicago Tribune

“Giffin [has a] trademark ability to capture the complexities of human emotions while telling a rip-roaring tale.”—The Washington Post

“Giffin is a worldwide bestselling author because she gets under your skin—by creating relatable characters wrestling within believable situations.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“A dependably down-to-earth, girlfriendly storyteller.”—The New York Times

“Giffin’s writing is true, smart, and heartfelt.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Emily Giffin writes of the things that matter: the fragility of love, the wily nature of fate, the joys of friendship, and the gift of family. Her novels are emotionally masterful.”—Adriana Trigiani

2024-04-20
The suicide of a friend creates a lifelong bond among three college classmates.

The latest from the author of Something Borrowed opens at the University of Virginia, where four freshmen are about to find the connection that will sustain them through the next four years. They are Lainey, an aspiring actor from California; Tyson, a Black man with law in his future; Summer, a star scholar and varsity athlete; and Hannah, whose conservative Southern mother is going to be very disappointed that she’d rather hang with these three than pledge a sorority. Shortly before their graduation, the unthinkable happens: For reasons no one will ever fully understand, Summer takes her own life. This leads to the eponymous pact: The trio of survivors agree never to take “drastic steps” before reaching out. They are in their early 30s when the first reach-out occurs: Hannah has walked in on her fiance screwing the local Instagram influencer in the bed she just bought for their future marital home. Lainey, now a Hollywood actor on her way up, drops everything and jets in from California to extricate Hannah and exact revenge. Tyson shows up, too, though he has to quit his job and ditch his girlfriend to get there. Once that mess is cleaned up, the three leave on a fantasy getaway on which each gets to pick a stop. The rest of the story unfolds mostly on Capri, always a desirable setting in fiction, where our protagonists hit places like “that beach club [from] TikTok,” La Fontelina. (Do Google it.) Though shocking life changes befall each member of the trio during their Italian sojourn, none are much of a surprise to the reader, who will likely notice the exact moment each plot twist became inevitable. Be quiet and drink your Aperol Spritz.

The time-honored post-breakup trip—“Eat, Shop, Party”—has life-changing results you needn’t believe to enjoy.