Publisher, Recorded Books (April 2005)

This New York Times best-seller from acclaimed author Curtis Sittenfeld has been hailed by Tom Perrotta, author of Little Children and Election, as "one of the most impressive debuts in recent memory." A funny and poignant coming-of-age story, Prep is a dead-on examination of adolescent angst and a sharp criticism of America's social structure.

Fourteen-year-old Lee Fiora leaves Indiana to enroll at the prestigious Ault School of Massachusetts. Surrounded by beautiful and wealthy students, Lee immediately feels like an outsider. Both repulsed and captivated by her classmates, she carves out a niche for herself. But everything falls apart when Lee's private thoughts become public information—leading to her ostracism.

Not since J.D. Salinger's Holden Caulfield has a teenaged character made such an indelible impression. Prep proves that Sittenfeld is an author who will be heard from for years to come.

About the Author: Author Curtis Sittenfeld gained renown when she was only 16 years old as the winner of Seventeen magazine's fiction writing contest. She has also won The Mississippi Review's fiction contest. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Salon. She is a Stanford University graduate who attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

About the Performer: Julie Dretzin has appeared on and off-Broadway (The Sisters Rosensweig; Joe Fearless, Uncommon Women and Others) and in theatres around the country (favorite productions include The Seagull, Nora, Rocket to the Moon, The Cherry Orchard and A Dybbuk). On television, she has appeared in many shows, including Law & Order, ER., CSI: Miami, Without a Trace, and Six Feet Under. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Sam, and their son, Benjamin.