Mona Simpson's exception first novel tells the story of a mother and daughter, Adele and Ann, making their way west so that Ann can be a child star, living off Adele's abandoned second husband's credit card.When her mother's campaigns become too hare-brained or the maternal blackmail too dear, Ann makes reverse-charge calls to her beloved grandmother, who reassures her that Adele has made as baffling a daughter as she has a mother.Mona Simpson's astonishing ear for the nuances of emotional politics marks this startling and original debut by one of the finest voices in American fiction.