Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    The Editor
    Unavailable
    The Editor
    Unavailable
    The Editor
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Editor

    Written by Steven Rowley

    Narrated by Michael Urie

    4/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    A poignant, highly original novel about an author whose relationship with his very famous book editor will change him forever…

    ‘Delicately observed’ Sunday Times

    ‘Laugh-out-loud funny and searingly poignant’ Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Daisy Jones and the Six

    One of PopSugar’s ‘Buzzy Books to Read This Spring’ ‘A sweet and charming novel, perfect for fans of Jackie O and Rowley's first novel, Lily and the Octopus, alike’ PopSugar

    _____________________________________________________________

    After years of struggling as a writer in 1990s New York City, James Smale finally gets his big break when his novel sells to an editor at a major publishing house:none other than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Jackie, or Mrs. Onassis as she's known in the office, loves James's candidly autobiographical novel, about his own dysfunctional family.

    As Jackie and James develop an unexpected friendship, she pushes him to write an authentic ending, encouraging him to confront the truth about his relationship with his mother. But when a long-held family secret is revealed, he realises his editor may have had a larger plan that goes beyond the page…
    ____________________________________________________________

    Find out why readers have fallen in love with The Editor:

    ‘What an excellent read this is! Beautifully written, with a sad yet poignantly beautiful ending’ Gillian F

    ‘I devoured in just a couple of sittings, only breaking for sleep and work!’ Kath B

    ‘I loved it – I couldn't wait to find out what happened next’ Katrina P

    ‘What a clever, gorgeously written story!’ Kate H

    ‘With a delightfully quirky storyline, great characterisation, wonderful wry humour and warmth, this book is an intriguing, thoughtful read. I loved it!’ Joy L

    ‘A beautiful book, full of characters to appreciate and care for’ Lucy W

    ‘I absolutely loved this novel – funny, moving, interesting and always entertaining!’ Yvonne C

    ‘Made me laugh, made me think and then ultimately made me cry!’
    Net A

    ‘I laughed so much throughout this book; it’s beautiful and heartwarming’ Michelle H

    ‘Bittersweet and charming!’ Siobhan D

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateApr 4, 2019
    ISBN9780008333263
    Unavailable
    The Editor
    Author

    Steven Rowley

    Steven Rowley has worked as a freelance writer, newspaper columnist, and screenwriter. Originally from Portland, Maine, he is a graduate of Emerson College. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his boyfriend and their dog. He is the author of Lily and the Octopus, The Editor, and The Guncle. Follow him on social media @MrStevenRowley.

    Related to The Editor

    Historical Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      For Snow Queens Who Have Considered Suicide Because Paul Newman in the First Twenty Minutes of Paris Blues Is Too Much

      Jun 14, 2022

      But I start with the great Sidney Poitier because his stardom was an established part of the Freedom movement in 1964, and he was to be the chaperone of my inner awakening that dramatic year. Indianapolis, my hometown, had some brave marches and two

      10 min read

    • Article

      Me, Myself, and You: Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’

      Apr 15, 2019

      In her latest novel, Rooney suggests that individual identity is actually a microcosmic social structure, made up of webbed relationships and collective agreements. The post Me, Myself, and You: Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’ appeared first on The Mi

      6 min read

    • Article

      17 Podcasts To Fill The High Low Shaped Hole In Your Life

      Feb 24, 2021

      We all have our favourite episode from The High Low’s four years on air: the one where Pandora introduces the top-line segment, the one where we meet producer CJ for the first time, the one where Dolly first introduces us to Francesco (if you know, y

      5 min read

    • Article

      ‘My “Sad Girl” Fans Concern Me’: Ottessa Moshfegh In Conversation With Carmen Maria Machado

      Jul 2, 2022

      At 41, Ottessa Moshfegh has appeared on the Booker prize shortlist, for her debut novel Eileen, and the bestseller lists, with My Year of Rest and Relaxation, for which she is currently collaborating on a film adaptation. Her new novel, Lapvona, is s

      8 min read

    • Article

      The Duplex

      Jun 9, 2020

      I moved to Los Angeles to sing. When was this? August? June? I was twenty-nine, and those were shapeless months, when the days blended together and I refused to pull them apart. My landlord was unusually close to her adult son. His name was Jeffrey,

      21 min read

    • Article

      Cricket League

      Sep 1, 2022

      First prize 10 and under Tang Li, age 9 Palmetto Bay, FL My name is Anisa. I was in Hawaii on vacation. I enjoyed sipping refreshing drinks, overlooking the turquoise ocean, and dancing with others, before I overheard that the priceless Fire Ring wa

      10 min read

    • Article

      J. Jezewska Stevens

      Dec 15, 2017

      The party was a failure. I can’t even tell you what a failure it was. There are no words. Only a great pain in my chest when I wake up. On the veranda. It’s better when I sit in the chair. Oh, but then I can see around. The gauzy curtains, pushed by

      15 min read

    • Article

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time

      Dec 1, 2023

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time
      9 min read

    • Article

      All My Tomorrows

      May 10, 2022

      It was Misha’s first day minding the shop, and already she’d broken the fifth rule. Always lock the door immediately. When you had the most valuable merchandise in the universe, you had to take the utmost precautions. She hadn’t meant to disobey. It

      13 min read

    • Article

      How Postcards From My Mother Helped Me Survive Childhood

      Mar 3, 2017

      For years, my mother wrote to me every day. I’d been sent away to boarding school and for the first weeks was forbidden to call home­. I was eleven. This was just before mobile phones came beeping and clicking into the lives of everyday people. I di

      4 min read

    • Article

      La Bohème

      Mar 1, 2022

      ON A SATURDAY or Sunday afternoon in the cold early months of 1988, I sat alone at a table for two in a Greenwich Village diner, twenty-four years old, hopelessly young, my notebook open in front of me. At the table next to mine were three people, al

      13 min read

    • Article

      Penny

      Jul 2, 2020

      Penny
      6 min read

    • Article

      Shame Is Ever-Present When You’re Sitting in a Cell

      Oct 23, 2020

      Between a strained relationship with my family and the death of a good friend, I’ve struggled to feel like I’m worth something.

      5 min read

    • Article

      O Fortuna, Velut Luna

      Sep 15, 2018

      What is Miss Treece’s trouble, according to a popular notion? The man A has failed to show up. Arousing herself at the restaurant, she fixes her lipstick when her solo supper concludes and takes herself down the stairs situated behind the bar. There,

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Eulogy

      Jul 13, 2022

      The Eulogy
      7 min read

    • Article

      Social Promotion

      Mar 19, 2024

      I didn’t understand. If that boy couldn’t read, why was he up there? The girl they originally had hosting the ceremony didn’t show, but why they put that boy there? Just because he volunteer for everything? You can’t read off enthusiasm. It made the

      21 min read

    • Article

      Quarantine Album

      Sep 8, 2020

      It all started with a very simple request: I asked my mom, when she had time, could she look through old photos to see if there were any of pint-size me decked out for Halloween—primo Instagram content for my show Scream, Queen! (a podcast about scar

      4 min read

    • Article

      Button Chair

      Dec 16, 2020

      THE anxiety simmers and sputters, threatening to spill over into the sunshine of the day. I am consumed by the trivial things on my to-do list: E-mail this person, put the dishes away, vacuum the living room, balance the checkbook. And then there is

      6 min read

    • Article

      Famous People

      Mar 1, 2022

      Famous People
      15 min read

    • Article

      I Used to Give Men Mercy

      Feb 12, 2018

      I Used to Give Men Mercy
      12 min read

    • Article

      The Leather Coat

      Apr 4, 2024

      The Leather Coat
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Little About Why

      Jun 1, 2023

      A Little About Why
      15 min read

    • Article

      Six Stories

      Sep 8, 2020

      I’m on the train, traveling alone, with two seats to myself. I have to use the restroom. Without thinking about it carefully, I ask a couple across the aisle if they would please watch my things for me for a moment. Then I take a closer look at them

      8 min read

    • Article

      Begin Again

      Jun 14, 2022

      My grandfather came to live with me. There was nowhere else for him to go. What had happened to all his children? Death, decay, exile—I hardly know. My own parents died of pain. But I must not be too gloomy, at the beginning, or you will leave me, an

      6 min read

    • Article

      Emil, Approximated

      Nov 3, 2022

      Emil, Approximated
      15 min read

    • Article

      Coming To Terms

      May 25, 2021

      Coming To Terms
      14 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Editor

    4/5

    82 ratings13 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      The Editor of [The Editor] would have done well to eliminate the cruel Nantucket Sleigh Ride joke,as well the author screaming at his dementia-ridden and dying father and, finally, the ending.How do readers accept that his mother is so "extraordinary" when she continued to lie and cheatwith her husband, threw him out of the house, refused to visit him when he was sick and dying,then lie some more to her son and her family until well into their adult years. Cruel, non?And why doesn't James use a computer to search for his real father?Compare all that to Jacquie Kennedy, the other woman the author extols as "extraordinary" = huh!!!In somewhat of a balance, the author delivers a lively and imaginative presentation of Jamesl and Jacquie.Too predictable and boring was Daniel and Mark.
    • 1/5
      Um no, just no..... Blithering & blathering "OMG! Jackie Kennedy Onassis, is going to be the editor for my book"When writing a fiction book about such a woman as was Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, one would prefer a realistic portrayal, not some outlandish overdone fairy-tale.
    • 4/5
      I only bought this novelisation of Jackie Kennedy Onassis' career as an editor because of the Kennedy connection, and getting into the story took me a while, but now I would have to say this is one of the most beautifully told stories I have read recently! New author James Smale strikes lucky when Doubleday want to publish his first novel - and the editor who takes him under her wing is none other than the former First Lady, Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The two build up an awkward rapport, with Jackie pushing James to confront his mother about the autobiographical details in his novel and James struggling to get past his editor's own tragic life story. The conversations between them are obviously completely fictional, but I felt like I was reading secret insights into Jackie's past, especially when she talked about her time with 'President Kennedy'. I love their pseudo-mother-son relationship, and the scene in 1040 where James dedicates the first copy of his book to her was magical. Learning details about her publishing work, New York apartment and funeral was also interesting.Jackie apart, I also enjoyed the unfolding drama of James' fractured family life, although I guessed the reason for the split early on. The Thanksgiving dinner felt wonderfully real, and all the characters - James, his mother, boyfriend Daniel and brothers and sister - are all vividly realised, and the big revelation is both obvious and devastating at the same time. From not being able to get into the story at the start, I finished by not wanting to leave the characters behind. One for the Kennedy library!
    • 3/5
      The Editor by Steven Rowley is a story about a man's personal journey to reconcile with his mother. It intertwines the protagonist's professional relationship with Mrs. Kennedy Onassis with his own personal relationships of his boyfriend and his mother. The book had a beginning middle and an end. It was not special in any way and as such received a good solid three stars.
    • 4/5
      A sweet and heartwarming, but often sad, tale of the relationship between mother and son, and author and editor. James (Francis) Smale has written a novel which has been accepted by a publishing house, and his editor is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The book is a reflection on James's life with his mother, but told as fiction. The story is told over 2 years, and forces James to face the relationship he has with his mother, through the urging of Mrs. Onassis. James also learns to face other parts of his life that he hasn't come to terms with - such as the relationship with his father, and also the relationship with his boyfriend, Daniel. James is insecure at times, and at other times, he is strong. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and his emotions are right in front of you. I liked how the author showed the sensitivity and strength of the relationship between mother and son, and also how he showed respect and kindness towards Mrs. Onassis. I enjoyed this book more than the author's previous novel, Lily and the Octopus. #TheEditor #StevenRowley
    • 4/5
      When James Smale finally sells his first book his immediate thought is that maybe it wasn't the best idea to write an autobiographical novel. He's pretty sure his mother, with whom he has developed a rocky relationship, will very likely think the same thing. When the first meeting with his editor at Doubleday takes place he gets an even greater shock. Sitting in a meeting room waiting, he sees Jackie Kennedy Onassis walk through the door. Overtaken with alarm he begins to stutter so badly she can't understand him. But it's Jackie, the Jackie who has grown accustomed to this sort of behavior. As he begins to tell her he thinks writing a book about his mother was a big mistake, Jackie tries to reassure him by saying she chose to edit his book because she likes the mother so much. I liked being able to eavesdrop on the conversations between James and Jackie as they begin work on improving what has been written and on creating an ending which James hasn't. That ending proves to be harder for James than all that came before it. There is a particularly rough spot when he learns of a family secret that comes close to making him to lose himself. But his partner and Jackie see him through and the book is finally completed to both his satisfaction and to his editor's. I loved the Jackie in this book and hope the actual Jackie was as kind and helpful to her authors as the character was to the James. In acknowledgements, the author writes he doesn't intend the book to be portrait of Jackie but rather his interpretation of a woman at the height of her career. He suggests a few books about Jackie's life as an editor for those interested and [Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books] is one of them. It's been on my shelf for several years and now I really look forward to reading it!
    • 5/5
      James Smale is a struggling write who finally gets a break when an editor picks up the manuscript for his autobiographical novel. Already nervous and excited at his first meeting with his editor, James is shocked when he discovers that she is Jackie Onassis. Yes, the one and only Jackie O. Jackie pushes James to rewrite the ending of his novel by digging deeper and really adding some personal significance. Through the process James spends time with his dysfunctional family, uncovering some pretty big skeletons in the closet, and examines his own personal relationships.I loved the writing of this book! The characters were vividly drawn, and there was a charm and naivete about James that just made me love him. Excellent story!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this second book. It was courageous to write a second novel about a writer and his editor and the process of writing and publishing a book. I did so much research while reading this one. I learned a lot about Jackie and inaugural poems. I hope he writes many more books. I know people are going to love this one. This one did make me sad that dogs were very minor characters, though.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. I loved the humor, pathos, the search for identity and belonging. James Smale is writing an autobiographical novel wherein his mother Aileen Smale is the central figure. How could she not be? She chose James over her husband. She was always the constant in James life. Much of the book is devoted to James’ need to decode who she is until there are no more secrets and the potential damage it will do to their relationship.Depicted with wit and hilarious inner dialogue James has his less than memorable moments and humbly acknowledges his failures. Set in New York in the 1990s the description of the publishing world is James ability to differentiate between a “beige girl” and a “Power beige”. Upon their first meeting, he bows to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, his Editor, because he doesn’t know the protocol. He has a coping mechanism of performing ten jumping jacks and that can happen in the most inappropriate places. He apologizes frequently. I like him a lot.Watching a TV clip of the Clintons walking from the Capitol to the White House James Smale reflects that “An administration is judged by whether or not it fulfills the promise of its start. A book should be judged in a similar way”. Mr. Rowley you have hit a home run.Thank you Netgalley and Putnam for a copy.
    • 5/5
      Steven Rowley, Author of “The Editor” has written an entertaining, intriguing, heartwarming, and amusing novel. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction, and Women’s Fiction. The author describes his characters as determined, motivated, complicated and complex. Some are dysfunctional and quirky. The story takes place mostly in New York City. around the 1990’s.James Smale is a struggling writer and finally has some luck. He is going to meet his new editor about his autobiographical book, which does describe his dysfunctional family. James has a very estranged relationship with his mother. James Smale is absolutely shocked to find that his editor is none other than” Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.”I loved reading about the friendship that evolved between the former first lady and James. It reminds me of a “normal” mother-son relationship. James is challenged to complete his novel and unravel some frightening and dark secrets in his family.I appreciate that Steven Rowley describes the difficulties that authors do, and speaks about communication, family, friendship, forgiveness, love and hope. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a delightful novel.
    • 5/5
      A special thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin First to Read/Penguin Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.James Smale is a struggling writer in 1990s New York City. He finally sells his novel to a major publishing house, but what he doesn't know, is that his big break comes because one of the most famous women in America has championed his work.His editor is none other than Jacqueline Kenney Onasis—or Mrs. Onassis as she is called in the office—as in the former First Lady of the United States. She happened to fall in love with Jame's candid semi-autobiographical novel that pulls back the curtain on his own dysfunctional family.The stress of publication is putting on strain on James' relationships with both his partner and his family. James suddenly finds himself unable to finish the manuscript even with Jackie's encouragement.Jackie and James develop a friendship and it is Jackie who persuades James to visit his mother. James returns home to confront the truth about his relationship with his mother and during the visit, a family secret is unearthed. It is another mother's intuition that has a hand in James' life's plan.Rowley's latest book is about mothers and sons and an unexpected friendship that will forever change one man.What I found so fantastic is that Jackie didn't eclipse James. Jackie is the perfect addition to the story with her poise, grace, and sophistication. There is also an immense sadness about her and instead of being swallowed up and consumed by grief, she and the story are empathetic and clever. Rowley took a risk using someone as famous as Jackie Kennedy Onassis because she could have stolen the scenes away from James thus making him more of a supporting character, but this doesn't happen at all. Rowley stays true to James' story. He is a well-developed character with an incredible amount of depth and growth. What happens instead is the two characters play off one another, and the reader is a witness to their beautiful friendship. It is so endearing and his words are as elegant as Jackie herself.
    • 4/5
      To write an autobiographical novel entails a great deal of risk. Because people know you are writing about your own life--fictionalized--inevitably bringing emotional turmoil into the lives of those people. And perhaps that is why James Smale can't bring his novel to a satisfying end--he is reluctant to go the distance because of the high costs. Smale's editor believes in him, in his novel, and in the story he has yet to tell. He can't tell it yet, because he hasn't lived it. And his editor presses him to do the work.Oh, Smale's editor at Doubleday is Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis. It makes things very complicated. Does he call her Mrs. Onassis? Jackie? Are they friends or coworkers or is she his boss or does she work for him? Everyone wants a part of her, all his friends are more interested in the minutia of her life than they are in his book.As Smale agonizes over his manuscript and his relationship with his mother and the father who left her "because of" him, his relationship with his beloved Daniel comes under strain. Do they have a love for all time? Everything Smale believed he knew comes crashing down at a family Thanksgiving gathering when his mother shares a secret.The beginning of The Editor revolves around Smale's coming to grips with his discovery and the shock of being discovered by one of the most famous women in the world. As a mother, she is deeply interested in his book. As an editor, she pushes him into uncomfortable territory. And the novel takes a turn from the comic into the universal theme of a child trying to process their childhood and relationships with parents. The search for the mother, in Smale's case, becomes a discovery of the father.Rowley's novel has already been signed to be a movie! I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
    • 5/5
      How lucky am I to read another ARC right after Finding Dorothy, which I loved, which is even a little better! While it did take me a little while to finally settle down into the book’s rhythm, once I did, I read it straight through and finished it with a lump in my throat and holding back tears. This is from someone who literally never cries about anything (except dog commercials!)Our main character, James Smale has struggled as a writer for years when he finally gets his big break with his novel. Though “fiction”, it is based on his mother and his own dysfunctional family. When Doubleday picks up his book, he goes to meet with his editor who turns out to be Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. You can be sure I went to the author’s notes immediately to make sure this was real fiction, because it felt so real! Jackie and our young author develop an unexpected friendship and she encourages him to go back home and confront head on the truth about his relationship with his mother so that his book has a more authentic ending. The secret that his mother finally tells him and his siblings at the Thanksgiving table, no less, sends him reeling. How he handles this news makes for a great read. But, I have to be honest, the best part of this book is Jackie Onassis. A five star read for me!