"Aspiring thespians will find much to relish in this engrossing depiction of the grit and glamour of the theater."-- Publishers Weekly "A satisfying glimpse of what it's really like to be on stage."-- Kirkus Sixteen-year-old Mel expects a dull summer--until she is cast in a youth production of Chekhov's Three Sisters . When rehearsals begin the director tells them, "You'll begin to feel as though the rest of the world has never existed and does not exist," and it's true: suddenly Mel's life is rehearsing, running lines backstage, painting sets, and hanging around with the other actors, who soon become her friends. She becomes especially close with Clare, a beautiful set and costume designer with a complicated past. And then there's Mike, who plays the dutiful, philosophical Lieutenant Colonel. His kind smile and quiet presence intrigue Mel, but he never spends time with the other actors, and as she draws closer to him, she wonders what he's hiding. More and more, the world of the show is all that matters.

But when Mel witnesses an intimate encounter between the director and an actress with more ambition than compassion, she fears her new world--and the production itself--will suffer. "A writer distinguished for her imaginative power and fresh, vivid writing."-- Kirkus Adèle Geras was born in Jerusalem in 1944. As a child she moved frequently and lived all over the world eventually settling in England for boarding school and University. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as an actress, singer, and French teacher. She has published more than ninety titles for children and adults including Troy (shortlisted for the Whitbread Book Award and Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal), Ithaka , and Happy Ever After . She lives in Cambridge, England and has two grown daughters and three grandchildren.