Laura and Charlie Rider have been married for twelve years. They share their nursery business in rural Wisconsin, their love for their animals, and their zeal for storytelling. Although Charlie's enthusiasm in the bedroom has worn Laura out, although she no longer sleeps with him, they are happy enough going along in their routine.

Jenna Faroli is the host of a popular radio show, and in Laura's mind is "the single most famous person in the Town of Dover." When Jenna happens to cross Charlie's path one day, and they begin an e-mail correspondence, Laura cannot resist using Charlie to try out her new writing skills. Together, Laura and Charlie craft florid, strangely intimate messages that entice Jenna in an unexpected way. The "project" quickly spins out of control. The lines between Laura's words and Charlie's feelings are blurred and complicated, Jenna is transformed in ways that deeply disturb her, and Laura is transformed in her mind's eye into an artist. The transformations are hilarious and poignant, and for Laura Rider, beyond her wildest expectations.

Jane Hamilton has written a sex comedy, and the world is a better place for it. Laura Rider's Masterpiece is a densely observed and seriously droll novel that reads like a dream. Astute, brazen and very funny, Hamilton has flexed all her muscles here, coming up with a kind of Les Liaisons Dangereuses for our rapid-fire e-mail era.
-Meg Wolitzer

"This book is terrific. I wish I could read it for the first time again!"
-New Yorker writer and author of Him Her Him Again The End of Him