In her new book, Rules for Visiting, author Jessica Francis Kane has created a charming character in May Attaway. A fan of The Odyssey, May decides to contemplate Penelope’s actions when determining action in her own life. Perhaps it is when we see May name a suitcase after Beowulf’s Grendel, or follow along as she is guided by Emily Post’s book on etiquette, explore with her as she consults the OED--somewhere along the way the reader discovers that May is whip smart, but also awkward and not exactly self-aware. And that’s also the moment we begin rooting for her.
In Rules for Visiting, May Attaway does not stay home, but instead visits her four closest friends at their homes. And discovers a lot about friendship, and herself, along the way.
I recently spoke with Jessica Francis Kane about May and about her own "rules for visiting." Here's our conversation:
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Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane was published by Penguin Press.
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