Gillyflower: A Novel

Gillyflower was an odd little novella about a woman’s interaction with an actor she admires. Nora sees her celebrity crush, a washed-up actor named Hugh, on stage in a play. Hugh and Nora have had the same dream about each other, and it unsettles them both. After Nora makes a drawing of the moment she saw Hugh on stage, the two decide to meet. The meeting doesn’t really go the way anyone would expect. The story changes perspectives from Nora, Hugh, Nora’s husband (Rick), and Hugh’s companion (Leon).

On first read, it might seem like there’s not much going on in the story. It certainly doesn’t contain any high adventure or melodrama. However, the story has a lot to say about revering celebrities and enduring love. It’s up to the reader to decide what to think about the encounter between Nora and Hugh, and what it might mean. As to why the book is called Gillyflower? That’s up to the reader to decide.