Exclusive excerpt: Read the first chapter of feminist Great Gatsby reimagining Tell Me My Name
By Lacy Baugher
Now that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby is in the public domain, expect to see a lot more retellings of this popular story over the next few years. But few will probably look much like author Amy Reed’s Tell Me My Name, a gender-flipped, near-future, feminist version of the story that will encourage readers to ask themselves: What really matters in life?
This isn’t a bad thing, by the way – The Great Gatsby is precisely the sort of difficult and occasionally problematic classic that benefits from being looked at through a more modern lens. (See also: Recent retellings of Romeo and Juliet or Pride and Prejudice that offer new perspectives on these stories by addressing issues of race and sexuality.)
Gatsby’s a novel that’s often terribly misogynistic. So why not look at its story in a more female-focused way?
Tell Me My Name tackling topics as diverse as trauma, addiction, class struggles, and whether the American Dream is accessible to everyone. It’s set in 50 years in the future where climate change has lead to environmental disasters. And it’s written from a decidedly feminist perspective, exploring the cost of simply being a girl in a world, that essentially requires young women to sacrifice essential pieces of themselves in order to fit in.
It follows the story of Fern, a girl who lives a quaint life on the wealthy Commodore Island off the coast of Washington. Fires burn and protests rage in cities like nearby Seattle, but Commodore is a safe escape – until famous starlet Ivy Avila moves to town and befriends Fern.
Soon, Fern gets caught up in Ivy’s lavish parties and her crush on a local boy who Fern has known forever. But Ivy isn’t what she seems due to the effects of fame and material excess, and Fern’s cozy island life is at risk of unraveling.
Tell Me My Name officially hit shelves on Tuesday, March 9 – but you don’t have to wait that long. We’ve got an exclusive look at the first chapter for you right now!