Inspired by the life of a woman pro­filed by Joseph Mitchell in The New York­er many years ago, Jami Attenberg’s Saint Mazie is a bold nov­el infused with Attenberg’s sig­na­ture wit, brav­ery, and heart — and a fresh por­tray­al of his­tor­i­cal New York City and a new take on his­tor­i­cal fiction.

Meet Mazie Phillips: big-heart­ed and bawdy, she’s the truth-telling pro­pri­etress of The Venice, the famed New York City movie the­ater. It’s the Jazz Age, with romance and booze aplen­ty – even when Pro­hi­bi­tion kicks in – and Mazie nev­er turns down a night on the town. But her high spir­its mask a child­hood root­ed in pover­ty, and her diary, always close at hand, holds her dear­est secrets.