The Salamander’s Slipper

“I believed I was a salamander and it seems that I was nothing but an impediment.” —Zelda Fitzgerald

Two sisters in 1990s London—totally unaware of each other—one a fast-living model and one a working class girl.

Bullied as a child in America, Sallie goes to London to find the mother who left her, but soon slips into the decadent dance club culture.  She also moves in with Philip, a psychiatric nurse who happens to be the secret, illegitimate grandson of Zelda Fitzgerald.

Amanda, her twin, grows up in a slummy London commune with her crazy mother.  She avoids a mysterious stalker, works for an eccentric millionaire and finds consolation with a charismatic rock musician who draws her into his love of vampires, S&M and two pet piranhas.

Unexplained forces—predators and protectors—weave in and out of both girls’ lives.  The Salamander’s Slipper, set mainly in London,  is a realistic story with subtle infusions of the paranormal, and should appeal to readers who enjoy fiction along the lines of Zadie Smith and Jennifer Egan.