New Novel THE BEADS Unlocks the Gilded Cage of Old Money
The Californer/10284951

NEW YORK - Californer -- American Library Association award-winning author David McConnell returns with his most ambitious work yet, The Beads (Itna Press; Sept. 17, 2024; $24.99; 430pp), a searing exploration of wealth, sexuality, and the elusive nature of love set against the backdrop of late '90s Manhattan.

In this unflinching portrayal of a once-great family's downfall, McConnell weaves a tapestry of complex characters struggling to find meaning in a world where money has long ceased to provide answers. From the neurotic patriarch to the pleasure-seeking mother, and the neglected son Darius yearning for connection, The Beads lays bare the hollowness of inherited privilege. As the story unfolds across continents and decades, readers are taken on a journey that challenges notions of family, duty, and the true cost of wealth. McConnell's prose is at once lyrical and incisive, offering a rare glimpse into the cloistered world of Manhattan's elite while posing universal questions about human connection in an age of excess.

More on The Californer

• Cal State LA named Pathway Champion for advancing equitable transfer pathways
• Easton & Easton, LLP Sues The Dwelling Place Anaheim and Vineyard USA for Failing to Protect Minor from Church Leaders' Sexual Abuse
• New Book "Curing Racism" Offers Hopeful Path to Healing America's Deepest Divide
• PHOTOS: Governor Newsom deploys California Volunteers, California National Guard on humanitarian mission assisting food banks as Trump's government shutdown delays SNAP benefits
• California: Governor Newsom celebrates CAL FIRE's first graduation at new Atwater training center

Praised by Kirkus Reviews as "an entertaining, deeply imagined literary melodrama," The Beads is not just a family saga, but a mirror held up to society's obsession with status and material wealth. It asks: In a world where everything has a price, can genuine love and decency still be found?

DAVID McCONNELL is the author of American Honor Killings: Desire and Rage Among Men (Akashic, 2013), which won the 2014 American Library Association Award for Non-Fiction. His other novels include The Firebrat (Attagirl, 2003) and The Silver Hearted (Akashic, 2010). His short fiction and journalism have appeared widely in magazines and anthologies, including Granta and Between Men. He lives in New York City.

David McConnell is available for interviews and appearances. Advance review copies of The Beads are now available upon request.

More on The Californer

• Scare Safely: City of Long Beach Offers Tips for a Safe Halloween
• California: Governor's SAFE Task Force and local partners clear homeless encampments in Fresno and San Diego
• Hypnotic Hijinks of HypnoMarc Rolls into Sunnyvale for One Night Only
• California: Governor Newsom announces appointments 10.22.25
• California: Governor Newsom announces appointments 10.23.2025

THE BEADS
By David McConnell
ISBN: 979-8-9882829-5-2 ($24.99, paperback)
ISBN: 979-8-9882829-7-6 ($14.99, e-book)
Publisher: Itna Press
Pub. Date: Sept. 17, 2024
Paperback | 5.5x8.5" | 430pp
Distribution: Ingram Wholesale

Please PRE-ORDER at Bookshop.org to show your support independent booksellers!