Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations

Mira graduates from grad school and is juggling four freelance jobs, spending most of her time at home in her pajamas. She finally gets an offer to help write a book for a woman who is from “one of the original founding families” (188). When Mira arrives at Bree’s apartment, she finds Bree is extremely rich. Mira feels moderately intimidated but holds her ground well. Bree does not expect Mira to be Indian, but says she is glad for it because Mira will bring spirituality to the project. She hopes to create a trilogy and miniseries about the history of her family and needs Mira to finesse it. Mira lands the position, although she still is not quite sure what the book will be about. Bree sends Mira home with a box of research, and when Mira and Jed open the box later, they find a pamphlet, a few magazines, and a photograph. Neither of them can believe how undeveloped Bree’s idea is. Mira is ready to give up but instead decides to try and let Bree free associate some information for a couple of scene ideas. Bree talks about how her family was “so smart [they] had to marry [their] cousins because no one else understood [them]” (196) and explains that she envisions a male main character.