Writers in the Loft Presents Claire Messud's 'The Burning Girl'

On Tuesday, September 12, The Music Hall Loft welcomes to the stage New York Times bestselling author of "The Emperor's Children" and "The Woman Upstairs," Claire Messud, who will talk about her latest work, "The Burning Girl."

It follows two girls, Julia and Cassie, who, despite their very different family lives, have been friends since nursery school. But as the pair enter adolescence, their paths diverge. Julia, supported by her parents, aspires to become an actress and embraces opportunities at their school, while Cassie, raised by a single mother, focuses her energy on clothes and parties and dates Julia's longtime crush. When Cassie takes off in search of her real father, Julia realizes that she is the only person who can rescue her friend.

Messud, one of our finest novelists, is as accomplished at weaving a compelling fictional world as she is at asking the big questions: To what extent can we know ourselves and others? What are the stories we create to comprehend our lives and relationships? Brilliantly mixing fable and coming-of-age tale, "The Burning Girl" gets to the heart of these matters in an absolutely irresistible way.

Messud is a recipient of Guggenheim and Radcliffe Fellowships and the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The author of five previous works of fiction including her most recent novel, "The Woman Upstairs," she lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her family.

The ticket package for Writers in the Loft: Claire Messud on Tuesday, September 12, at 7 p.m., is $40 ($38 members). In addition to a reserved seat, the package includes a copy of "The Burning Girl" ($25.95 hardcover), a bar beverage, author presentation, Q+A, and book signing meet-and-greet.

Packages can be purchased online at TheMusicHall.org, over the phone at 603-436-2400 or in person at the B2W Box Office at the Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut Street