Postcards from the Edge

Carrie Fisher’s first novel is set within the world she knows better than anyone else: Hollywood, the all-too-real fantasyland of drug users and deal makers. This stunning literary debut chronicles Suzanne Vale’s vivid, excruciatingly funny experiences—from the rehab clinic to life in the outside world. Sparked by Suzanne’s—and Carrie’s—deliciously wry sense of the absurd, Postcards from the Edge is a revealing look at the dangers and delights of all our addictions, from success and money to sex and insecurity.

Carrie Fisher’s first novel is set within the world she knows better than anyone else: Hollywood, the all-too-real fantasyland of drug users and deal makers. This stunning literary debut chronicles Suzanne Vale’s vivid, excruciatingly funny experiences—from the rehab clinic to life in the outside world. Sparked by Suzanne’s—and Carrie’s—deliciously wry sense of the absurd, Postcards from the Edge is a revealing look at the dangers and delights of all our addictions, from success and money to sex and insecurity.

Publishers Weekly

Readers who persevere beyond the opening, off-putting chapters of this first novel by actress Fisher will discover that she brings a real talent to bear on her depiction of Hollywood. In a series of vignettes, we meet the protagonist, young film star Suzanne Vale, in a detox clinic where she is doing time after an overdose. Her compulsive, high-pitched voice confirms that the entertainment industry is indeed full of self-obsessed, neurotic people. A writer/cocaine addict named Alex is the next person heard from; his scatological stream of consciousness, interrupted by lines reading ``(SNIFF) Aaahh'' and his habit of saying ``I'm gonna'' may put the reader's teeth on edge. When Fisher hits her stride, however, the narrative begins to brim with snappy dialogue, sensitive insights and witty asides. We watch Suzanne trying to overcome her loneliness and insecurity as she interacts with agents, writers, producers, psychiatrists and a whole range of Tinseltown types. Her attempts to establish a mature relationship seem doomed to fizzle, but Fisher has a surprise in store in the book's closing pages. First serial to Redbook and Cosmopolitan; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book clubs alternate; major ad/promo; author tour. (August 5)

Carrie Fisher, the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, became an icon when she starred as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. Her star-studded career includes roles in numerous films such as The Blues Brothers and When Harry Met Sally. She is the author of five bestselling novels, Wishful Drinking, Surrender the Pink, Delusions of Grandma, The Best Awful, and Postcards from the Edge, which was made into a hit film starring Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep. Fisher's experience with addiction and mental illness—and her willingness to speak honestly about them—have made her a sought-after speaker and respected advocate.