The book hits shelves Aug. 25, launching a new series for Herrera.
Read more below the cover.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:You set this novel in the world of a department store.
Credit: Courtesy Adriana Herrera
What inspired that setting and is it based on any particular store or group of stores?
He was more or less the first retailer that integrated in the south.
It was just really fascinating.
He bought a ton of it.
The first story is Julia Ortiz, who works for the foundation.
I always have to have a social justice piece to the story.
Julia was hired to basically create a program that works with after-school children for immigrant families.
Rocco, who is also a New Yorker, is hired to take the company public.
Part of the IPO is cutting the charity part of the company, so they’re at odds.
Previously, your novels have all been set in New York City predominantly.
What appealed to you about Dallas as a setting and have you spent much time there?
My partner grew up in Dallas.
He was born in California, but when he was in elementary school, the family moved to Dallas.
His family is still there.
We’ve been together for almost 15 years so I’ve been going to Dallas for a long time.
We know the area well; my daughter was born there, so I have a connection to it.
Did the shift in setting alter how that crops up in the book?
I attempt to be intentional in the ways that I tackle these things.
I don’t want to always burden the people of color with unpacking the issues.
That’s why I tried to make it about it being the culture of the company.
I give a shot to make it so I’m not just preaching at people.
Can you tell me a little more about your research into Neiman Marcus and how they inspired you?
They have a ton of literature there about the original store and the founders.
I tried to do a lot of research from that bibliography.
I started to think about this story when we were starting to separate families at the border.
That’s why I decided to locate the story in Dallas.
I had finished my Masters of Social Work, and I was working at the International Rescue Committee.
I always like to imagine in my books the ideal nonprofit situation.
It’s my way of doing my own social work fantasy.
This cover is so sunny and warm.
Can you tell me more about how you arrived at it?
I want something fun, warm, and they just came up with something perfect on the first try.
I wanted people smiling.
I wanted people that look excited to be where they were.
She doesn’t want to do a walk of shame back to New York City.
Did you come up against any of those challenges in your process?
No, not so far.
Carina, my publisher, has been super great about finding something that works for me.
They’ve been really, really excellent about it.
This cover does just have a bit more levity than the Dreamers covers.
Was that a distinction you wanted to make?
I’ve done that, so now I’m having more fun with it.
I can explore things like the setting in a department store; it’s kind of a different feel.
I don’t know if I could write a rom-com if I tried, but it’s definitely funnier.
It’s a little lighter and there’s a lot of talk about fashion.
One of the side characters is an Instagram influencer.
So, I talk a lot about photos he’s trying to take.
It’s a very different feel to the Dreamers series.
But again it’s found family, a group of Afro-Caribbean friends and their connections and their relationships.
They’re all in a different town, so they also all feel like ex-pats from New York City.
It’s a different bang out of thing because they’re all getting acclimated to their new home.
Given the setting, do you have a personal favorite department store?
That’s my favorite memory of a New York City department store.
There was nothing like Macy’s in the D.R.
Everything was so pretty and beautiful.
That’s a great memory for me, but I really like Bergdorf’s to feel super fancy.
