In this sharp and funny literary debut set in Northern California during the 1980s recession, Fayette Fox delves deep into the dark heart of an ordinary American family - and finds out that make-believe isn't just for kids.
A Piece of Passion by Fayette Fox’s editor at Myriad Editions, Vicky Blunden... 'From the very first page of The Deception Artist I was completely captivated by Ivy’s voice. She narrates the story, taking us on a journey through what proves to be a tough time for her family – from the worry of her brother’s illness to the repercussions of her father losing his job. She also invites us into the wild world of her own playful imagination, into which she retreats whenever life is too tricky. I defy anyone not to fall in love with her – she's a brilliant comic creation.
Fayette’s writing is pitch perfect and she has a real gift not just for getting under her characters’ skins, but for seeing the comedy and the drama in the everyday. It’s such an uplifting read, and a real joy to read a novel that has such warmth and humour crackling on every page.'
Who needs the truth? Eight-year-old Ivy has a vivid imagination and tells lies so that people will like her. With her brother, Brice, in hospital, life at home feels unsettled and things become even more strained after her father loses his job, along with his sense of purpose. Ivy's parents might divorce and her best friend hates her but, ever creative, she abandons her escapist fantasies and determines to uncover the truth.
Fayette Fox holds an MA in Publishing from the London College of Communication and a BA in Creative Writing from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. A freelance writer and former commissioning editor for Lonely Planet, Fayette has been commissioned by travel websites Openplac.es and TripAdvisor.com. Fayette has trekked in the Nepalese Himalayas, taught sex-ed to teenage girls in India, radio-tracked echidnas in Australia, weeded rice paddies on organic farms in Japan and been attacked by a giant centipede. She recently moved back to San Francisco and when she's not writing or reminiscing about her own 80s childhood she enjoys hiking in the Bay Area's golden hills and redwood forests, which serve as the backdrop for her book. The Deception Artist is her first novel.
