The After Party. A new novel by Anton Disclafani

The After Party, by Anton Disclafani (author of The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls), tells the story of an intense friendship -- on one side anyway -- between Joan and Cece, young women coming of age in the Houston area during the late 1950’s. Money is no object for these two, both living in the affluent River Oaks section of Houston, and problems are few, or so it would seem. 

Joan is the ‘It’ girl of the moment, desired by men and envied by women. Cece loves her friend above all others, though remains in Joan’s shadow. She takes pride in knowing Joan more than any other, but does she really know her at all? At one point the girls live in the same home, share a bedroom. But again, even that close, can we really know someone as much as we sometimes think we do? Joan has her dark secrets and Cece is determined to discover her truth, even to the point of losing her own family in the process.  

The author does an excellent job of placing the reader into the heat, humidity, and fabulous wealth of a distinct part of Houston, Texas. But within that background, the novel’s core is about what money cannot buy, that being friendship, loyalty, forgiveness, health, family relationships, and the difficult decisions all of us have to face at one time or another. Who are you, and where are you when the party’s over? Often times the after party is much more interesting than the party itself.