Brooklyn novelist paints musical portrait of Philly
Brooklyn BookBeat: Marie-Helene Bertino’s ‘2 a.m. at The Cat’s Pajamas’ Now Out in Paperback
“Now I live on Prospect Park, which is like winning the lottery every day,” Brooklyn author Marie-Helene Bertino told the Brooklyn Eagle in an interview last year. An award-winning writer, Bertino has recently celebrated the paperback release of her debut novel, “2 a.m. at The Cat’s Pajamas,” which was originally published in the summer of 2014. The book follows three charming characters over the course of an extraordinary day in Philadelphia.
Madeleine Altimari is a clever and ambitious 9-year-old who hopes to become a jazz singer. Attempting to follow in her late mother’s footsteps, Madeleine faces teasing and taunting at school, but remains determined to make her debut at The Cat’s Pajamas — Philadelphia’s renowned jazz club.
That same day, Madeleine’s fifth grade teacher, recently divorced Sarina Greene, anxiously prepares for a dinner party where she’ll be reunited with a love interest from high school.