A Sparkling Historical Fiction Novel About Queer Life in Gilded Age New York
Those who fight hardest against LGBTQ+ rights would have us believe that queerness is a modern phenomenon. In truth, queer people have always existed and will continue to exist, regardless of what laws or executive orders are used to limit our freedoms and visibility. As queer and trans people yet again find themselves at the center of the political battleground, queer historical fiction is a powerful reminder that we’ve always been here, and our stories matter.
In Mutual Interest, Olivia Wolfgang-Smith, author of Glassworks, showcases the lives of three dynamic queer characters, navigating high society and loving behind closed doors in New York City at the turn of the 20th century.
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Mutual Interest by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith
Vivian Lesperance reinvents herself when she arrives in New York City in 1899 at the age of 18. She’s realizing her talent for climbing social ranks while hiding her amorous entanglements with other single young women. But once she reaches her mid-20s, Vivian understands she can’t live off the good graces of her lovers forever. If she wants to satisfy her champagne tastes, she’ll need to find a husband.
Enter Oscar Schmidt, a fortysomething middle manager at a soap factory who’s hiding his own secret rendezvous with other men. Vivian sees in Oscar an opportunity to move into the New York elite while maintaining their “unusual” lifestyles in private. But Oscar is distracted, wrapped up in a rivalry with Squire Clancey, an eccentric candle maker from an old-money family who keeps buying up the limited supplies Oscar needs for soap making.
Where Oscar sees an enemy, Vivian sees the final puzzle piece to build an empire. With clever manipulation, Vivian transforms Oscar and Squire from rivals to partners, and personal care and home goods giant Clancey & Schmidt is born. As Squire and Oscar realize there’s something more between them than business, Vivian slowly takes over management of C&S herself, finding power and agency unheard of for women at the turn of the 20th century.
Mutual Interest is queer historical fiction at its finest, showcasing deeply layered, messy, imperfect yet lovable LGBTQ+ characters hiding in plain sight of those opposed to their existence. The cheeky omniscient narrative voice especially shines, making the reader feel as if they’re being taken by the arm on a leisurely stroll through this story filled with sparkling wit and lush descriptions of Gilded Age New York.
Once you’ve met them, Vivian, Oscar, and Squire will forever have a place in your heart.
