The realest autobiography of a fictional character that you will ever read. Duchess Goldblatt, a psuedonymous Twitter character, is vaguely dark but deeply kindly, delightfully fanciful but well grounded (aided no doubt by the sizable ruff she wears). She has become a daily light, an anti-troll, to tens of thousands of devoted Twitter followers. This is the story behind the account: a tale of a lonely, grieving mother who finds some healing and community by giving voice to an 81-year-old cultural icon that springs fully formed from her head.

It is witty and poignant and vulnerable. It's full of sparkly bon mots from her Twitter feed, charming private conversations with her follower-friends, and endearing encounters with Lyle Lovett. If that's not enough to entice you, then Duchess shame you.

Content notes: emotional trauma, childhood emotional trauma, parental neglect, parental death, peripheral character with addiction and suicidal thoughts, painful divorce

My thanks to #NetGalley, #HoughtonMifflinHarcourt, and Hartfield Book Co for an ARC.