High (and very low) times in high society

 

Boncompagni is one of Manhattan’s true socialites. She recounts the world of high society in her new book,  “Gilding Lily.”

 

 In her debut novel, “Gilding Lily,” [Avon, $14], New York City socialista Tatiana Boncompagni showcases the life every scene-obsessed woman dreams of. A world in which couture is as disposable as H&M, where $12,000 seats at benefits are just an average night out, and where your worth in social currency is valued by how many of your photos grace the right magazines.  

With striking accuracy and an insider’s intelligence, Boncompagni lifts the veil of this rarified world through the story’s cunning protagonist, socialite Lily Bartholomew, who has fallen from grace and who can’t seem get back up again.

When asked if the story is autobiographical, Boncompagni admits, “My life is not nearly as fascinating as the main character’s.  Although I go to many of the high-profile events, I consider it a good night if the paparazzi doesn’t step on my heels trying to snap a picture of Tinsley Mortimer. So I made Lily more glam than I am and more hungry for attention, but there are some similarities.”

Peppered with Boncompagni’s shrewd observations about the lives of the highest echelon, “Gilding Lily” sets the story of a young woman struggling to balance her life and rising social star against the backdrop of high society’s catty and competitive world.

Once Lily finds her way back into “the scene,” she begins to realize that this world of the “see and be seens” lacks the integrity and fulfillment that she so craves.

Boncompagni relates that she wanted “Lily” to have a deeper meaning. “I wanted this book to be a little treat, like a chocolate before bed, that people could enjoy and escape into, but at the end of the day there is a message that makes the story worthwhile.”