"I have never had another friendship like that I had with Molly. One loves only once with such intensity and devotion." Inspired by the literary classic Lolita, this extraordinary debut novel is a richly imagined coming-of-age story about two girls in Illinois in the 1940s and their intense, erotically charged friendship, which endures even after one moves away and becomes entangled in a disturbing life with her new stepfather. Shy, intelligent, and fiercely loyal, Betsy Thurmont longs to shed her awkward reserve and be more like her best friend, Molly Liddell, a vivacious, dazzling girl who charms all who know her. They are a devoted pair, jitterbugging at the local soda shop, ice skating at the rink, taking a blood oath that they will never part -- until Molly's mother is caught up in scandal and flees far away with her daughter. Years later, Betsy comes into possession of Molly's diaries and learns the startling story of what happened to her childhood friend. Through her diary entries, Molly tells the dramatic story of her mother's marriage to a European scholar named Richard Richard, with whom Molly begins an outrageous flirtation. But, after her mother's death, this man uses her preadolescent seductions to fulfill his own ruthless desires. Heartbreaking in their honesty, Molly's diaries eloquently express how a bright future can be dimmed by circumstance. Guided by Molly's strong and resilient voice, Betsy reaches her own epiphany about the meaning of her dear friend's short life, and about her own place in the world. Molly perfectly captures the wonderment, longing, fear, and frustration of making the potentially dangerous yet exhilarating metamorphosis from girl to woman. This radiant first novel is also a loving tribute to Vladimir Nabokov and his classic work, invoking the spirit of the legendary Lolita.