Sweetbitter is Stephanie Danler’s debut novel, published in May 2016 by Alfred A. Knopf. The story is based in part on Danler’s experience of working as a waitress while studying in New York City.
Sweetbitter follows Tess, a 22-year-old who arrives in New York ready to start a new life where she’s invited to train at one of the best restaurants in the New York City. Tess is throw into that adrenaline-fuelled world quickly, and becomes enamoured with the people and sense of belonging she is offered, but eventually learns who she can truly trust.
In various articles Danler has said that although she has some in common with the novel’s protagonist Tess, she is not based on the author: “[she] quickly became a character, and is in many ways much better and much worse at life than I was at that age”.
The adaptation of the novel will star Ella Purnell as Tess, alongside Tom Sturridge as Jake, Caitlin FitzGerald as Simone, Evan Jonigkeit as Will, Eden Epstein as Ari, Jasmine Mathews as Heather, Daniyar as Sasha, and Paul Sparks as Howard.
You can watch Sweetbitter on Starz from May 6th 2018.
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