To what extent does human nature limit political possibility?
A young woman who joins an Anarchist community, gets caught up in the culture war, and struggles to reunite with the sister she once betrayed. Think NORMAL PEOPLE meets FIGHT CLUB.
An upmarket/literary novel: 99,000 words
Excerpt
Prodigal sister here. Long time no talk.
Guess where I’m writing from?
That’s right, Montreal. Like we always talked about.
It’s been too long, you should come visit.
We’ve got this political encampment coming up. You’d like it.
You’d like it. No “you might be into…” or “I thought you’d find this interesting…” Just Nat, knowing how it was, like always.
It was insane though. So insane, for Jamie to take time off work, fill out Kirkland’s “short notice stress leave” form, browse cheap flights on the website Nat sent, make a list of everything she needed to pack and show up at the airport four hours early for a domestic flight to reconnect with an estranged sister who hadn’t spoken to her in three years.
It was insane.
The Beautiful Ones
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Opening Chapter
Testimonials
“No other book has been so relatable to me a young woman who devoted her early 20s to a radical political life. In a time where more and more teens look up to far-left activists as their heroes, we need a good coming of age story with an Anarchist twist.
“The Beautiful Ones delves deep into the controversies of the internet era, in a nuanced and touching way that leaves extremists on all sides looking gorgeously, tragically human.”
Katy Kelly
Editor and Cultural Commentator, Strong Towns
“Arielle is a thoughtful and perceptive writer with a distinct acerbic wit and style. I look forward to reading her future contributions.”
Daniel Pinchbeck
New York Times bestselling author of How Soon is Now and The Return of Quetzalcoatl
“Thought-provoking.
Memorable.
Read this book.”
Patrick LoBrutto
New York editor, worked with such authors as Isaac Asimov, Stephen King, and Octavia Butler
About the Author: Arielle Friedman
Like many Millennials and Gen Z’s, I’ve spent my adulthood intensely engaged in politics. I was a committed revolutionary on the Anarchist left, only to become disillusioned and ultimately politically homeless. Through it all, writing has been my solace and my profession. I co-wrote the screenplay for a documentary film, HEALTH UNDER SIEGE, about the impact of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, which won the Grand Jury award at the 2018 Oaxaca Film Festival. I’ve had dozens of articles published, and I co-founded a literary journal with bestselling author Daniel Pinchbeck. Most recently, I’ve been working with renowned editor Pat LoBrutto on polishing my novel and bringing it to industry standards. In 2024 my novel won a Recommender Grant for Writers from the Ontario Arts Council.
