SOLVED. a 90s? novel about a group of artsy friends meeting socially in a teahouse [s]

[Bloodorange]

The American (or just Anglophone?) novel I'm looking for described lives of a group of friends who, for lack of space/ nice places of their own had to meet socially in a teahouse in their area (taking into consideration the fact that they were, at least some of them vaguely artistic, and the housing conditions, I imagine this could be Brooklyn, but am not sure. I'm absolutely sure of the teahouse part).

The book was probably written in the nineties (I've read it in Polish translation in mid-noughties).

Narration was third person omniscient, from what I remember, and I think it focused on various characters in turn.

Setting: Brooklyn? A large town in an English-speaking country? Time of action: most likely nineties, perhaps late eighties.

I remember one of the characters had a common-law wife, an artist(view spoiler)[, whom he cheated on (hide spoiler)]. Instead of a wedding band, he wore a silver? bracelet she designed.

Would be grateful for any pointers.

[Sara]

Gosh that sounds familiar. I'm pretty sure I've come across this novel when I was working in a bookstore in the early 00s.

Could it be something by Candace Bushnell? Lauren Weisberger? Jennifer Weiner?

[Bloodorange]

Thanks! Will check the writers you named and respond in the thread:)

[Bloodorange]

Nope, it doesn't seem to be written by any of these authors - they generally seem to be too glam.

[Sara]

Do you remember anything about the cover? Might help jog my memory some more.

I vaguely remember picking a QP-bound book up and reading the back cover and the synopsis sounded a lot like what you wrote. I think it was on a stacked table of "summer reading" books that included an assortment of literature, stuff you'd call "chick lit" and stuff that was likely to be turned into a movie or series, stuff that was showcased on Oprah and mentioned in Cosmo, those sorts of books.

[Bloodorange]

I read it in Polish translation, and the cover was probably changed. It could easily be qualified as chick lit, I think, but of a more cerebral kind (think Carol Shields, The Republic of Love, but probably weaker).

[Bloodorange]

bump:)

[Andria]

A guess: The Tea House on Mulberry Street ?

[Bloodorange]

I think the publication date might be too late, but I'll check it out:)

[Stefan]

Not sure about when this is from but ‘Triburbia,’ by Karl Taro Greenfeld is my guess.

[Bloodorange]

Stefan wrote: "Not sure about when this is from but ‘Triburbia,’ by Karl Taro Greenfeld is my guess."

I think it's from 2012, so way too recent, but it does sound like a fun read - I'll definitely give it a shot anyway, thanks for mentioning it:))

[Bloodorange]

Bump:)

I'm reasonably sure it was none of the books mentioned to date (I'll give you a list below, for convenience):

* not anything by Candace Bushnell, Lauren Weisberger, Jennifer Weiner (too girly)

* not The Tea House on Mulberry Street (ditto)

* not Triburbia (similar in vibe, though nothing in the "Readers Also Enjoyed" section rings a bell).

Any ideas, anyone?

[Morgan]

A Collection of Beauties at the Height of Their Popularity by Whitney Otto should be what you are looking for.

[Bloodorange]

Thank you! I'm almost certain this is the book in question, I'll let you know/ change the topic when I get hold of a copy! :))

[Michele]

A Collection of Beauties at the Height of Their Popularity for the click.

[Michele]

Picasso at the Lapin Agile and Other Plays maybe?

[Bloodorange]

Thanks, Michele! I'm 98% sure it is "A Collection of Beauties" - it's only that I'm so ill at the moment I cannot go to the library. I'll check out "Picasso", though, thanks for the tip:)

[Michele]

Bloodorange wrote: "Thanks, Michele! I'm 98% sure it is "A Collection of Beauties" - it's only that I'm so ill at the moment I cannot go to the library..."

I'm so sorry :( Hope you improve!

[Bloodorange]

Michele wrote: "Bloodorange wrote: "Thanks, Michele! I'm 98% sure it is "A Collection of Beauties" - it's only that I'm so ill at the moment I cannot go to the library..."

I'm so sorry :( Hope you improve!"

Thank you, Michele! I am on the mend:)

[Bloodorange]

SOLVED! :)

I am very sorry it took me so long to get to the library (that really was one nasty virus), but today I finally made it and it IS A Collection of Beauties at the Height of Their Popularity by Whitney Otto. I immediately found the fragment about engraved silver bracelets I remembered so well.

Thanks a million, Morgan and Michele, and the group admins, who made it possible for me to finally find this book:)