A Tender Thing

Chapter One

The O'Hanlon farm was devoted mostly to pigs, with stalls for breeding and a large slaughterhouse on the west edge of the property. They also owned a horse barn, an apple orchard, a coop for chickens, and a field where they grew food for the animals. The farm was like a large body, clear yet relentless in its needs. While the animals' appetites stayed consistent and the chores of the day never changed-only occasionally growing more difficult, due to weather or workers' illness-Eleanor, who had spent nearly every day of her life on this farm, made mistakes. As often as she brushed the horses until they gleamed, she would also bring the chickens the wrong feed. She had a tendency to grow dreamy while picking apples and let too many wormy runts into the mix. She was not a stupid girl. But the place did not allow for a lack of attention, and though it had been her family's farm since her grandfather bought it forty years earlier, Eleanor was never interested enough to learn its rhythms.Still, while Eleanor dreaded all of her farm chores, she never once neglected to feed the pigs. On sterile winter mornings, she resisted the pull of her bedclothes and stepped onto the chilled floorboards. It was easier in summer, when she woke with the sheets sticking to her back.On her twenty-first birthday, the June sun was hot. She carried heavy pails with rag-wrapped handles that wouldn't cut into her palms. When the pigs noticed her approach, they swarmed the edge of the sty, their noises layering into a fugue of desperation.It was early, and dew still shone on the soybeans in the neighboring fields to the east. The land was flat and pale green, the sun sending rays straight into her eyes. Pink, fatty bodies rammed her legs; snouts nudged her hands and pockets in search of food. She greeted them each by name and dumped feed into the trough, rubber boots sinking into the mud. Eleanor was the one in the family who'd named the pigs. The names were born from a desire to

Emily Neuberger is an MFA graduate and grant recipient at Brooklyn College's fiction program, and previously worked as an editorial assistant at Viking Books. She has a music degree from NYU, where she studied musical theater and writing. A performer for fifteen years, she performed at Carnegie Hall in Stephen Schwartz's birthday celebration and sang for Stephen Sondheim at the Music Institute of Chicago. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. A Tender Thing is her debut novel.

One of Playbill's 11 Books for Theatre Lovers to Read in Spring 2020
One of Hello Giggles's 10 Best New Books to Take Your Mind Off Things 
BookRiot's April 2020 Horoscope Pick for Aries 

If you need a break from the present, hop back in time to the bright lights of Broadway in the 1950s .Fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will love it. Hello Giggles
 
"A Tender Thing drops at just the right time: if fans can t go to the theater right now, at least they can read about it. Variety

"Set in the '50s, this backstage novel follows aspiring star Eleanor O'Hanlon as she runs off to New York City to audition for one of her favorite musicals. Once in the Big Apple, romance and gigs quickly follow but protests, intense rehearsals, and rumors get in the way."  Playbill 

"Debut author Neuberger...clearly knows the world she's depicting; she brings to life with nice historical detail the rehearsal milieu....Smart, savvy, atmospheric work from a promising new talent."  Kirkus Reviews 

This period piece evokes the golden age of Broadway, from an author whose own performing background shines through. Historical details are well placed, and the characters are engaging .Readers of Elizabeth Gilbert s City of Girls or Fiona Davis s The Chelsea Girls will enjoy. Library Journal

Neuberger s thoughtful tale succeeds at showing how art can both reflect and change how people see the world. Publishers Weekly

The pull of Broadway and the real-life consequences of challenging social norms alongside a slight nod to romance keeps the story moving. Booklist

Emily Neuberger makes a smashing debut with this ode to 1950s Broadway, in which the fabled farm girl with big dreams finds herself in an altogether new story, rich with moral complication and unexpected twists. Neuberger portrays the midcentury theater world with conviction and authenticity, and creates a