Rafael Frumkin

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Fig Tree

A close-up of Rafael Frumkin.

Rafael Frumkin

media release: Author Rafael Frumkin will be doing a virtual event with A Room of One’s Own in Madison on March 22 for the launch of his new book CONFIDENCE (Simon & Schuster; March 7, 2023). You can find more information about the event here.

About the Book

Rafael Frumkin, author of the critically acclaimed The Comedown, returns this March with his second novel, CONFIDENCE, a caper about scams and schemes as best friends and occasional lovers Ezra and Orson teeter on top of the world after founding a company that promises instant enlightenment. For fans of Less, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Bad Blood, CONFIDENCE is a fun, fast-paced journey that explores the absurdity of the American dream.

As a teenager, Ezra Green is shorter than average, gap-toothed, Internet-addicted, and halfway to being legally blind. On top of that, he’s also on his way to Last Chance Camp, the final stop before juvie. While at the camp, Ezra meets a kindred spirit in fellow hustler Orson who, unlike Ezra, is confident and charismatic. Ezra isn’t sure if he wants to be Orson or if he wants to be with him or both, but he knows one thing: Orson will change his life.

Thus begins a rollercoaster ride through both riches and rot as the pair move from small-time scams like quick-change artistry and honeypot schemes to conning their way into the C-Suite. Orson and Ezra eventually found NuLife, which combines the self-help promise of Herbalife with the ambition of Theranos. While Orson is the face of the company, Ezra works behind the scenes. As NuLife’s success skyrockets, though, things—including Ezra’s feelings for Orson—start to spin wildly out of control.

Rafael was inspired to write this story because he wanted to see someone like himself—a queer, trans person—represented in smart, goes-down-like-candy scam fiction. This novel is an exploration of all sorts of cons – from the con of love to the cons inherent to capitalism—but it is, above all else, a moving story of the all-consuming friendship and romance between Orson and Ezra.

CONFIDENCE is searing and charming, offering readers a story filled with suspense, romance, decadence, and wit. This book is for anyone who knows that while the American Dream is just another pyramid scheme, love may be the biggest con of all.

Advance Praise for CONFIDENCE

A 2022 Publishers Lunch Buzz Book!

“Theranos but make it gay.”—Electric Literature

"A caper, a queer love story, and a takedown of both wellness culture and the American Dream? Sold."—Literary Hub

"Laugh-out-loud funny in the way it unapologetically skewers capitalism, the 'American Dream,' and the wellness industry, Confidence is a wild ride and the perfect read for anyone who loves watching true crime documentaries."—Buzzfeed

“Frumkin follows up his critically acclaimed debut The Comedown with Confidence, a biting satire about a pair of friends who start a company that promises consumers instant enlightenment for the rest of their lives.”—New York Magazine’s Vulture

"At once witty and wrenching."—Kirkus Reviews

“A Gatsby for the 21st century, this book offers a satiric look at corporate-think, the desire for easy fixes, and the dissolution of the American Dream. Written with a dry, tongue-in-cheek wit, the novel also explores how the desire for love and connection can cause a kind of obliviousness. Perfect for fans of social satire and literary fiction.”—Library Journal *starred review*

“Exuberant…pulls off a queer take on the caper novel…. Frumkin’s sharp observations and clever plotting echo the Theranos scandal and the NXIVM cult.... For the reader, the deception is thoroughly enjoyable.”—Publishers Weekly

“Confidence is an exuberant assault on contemporary wellness culture, a tale of con-men so talented they con even themselves. But it’s also a very human story about the blind spots we all have, how our need for love and connection can sometimes lead us down all the wrong paths. A delightful, irreverent, and poignant novel.” —Nathan Hill, New York Times bestselling author of The Nix

“A caper and a love story, a rollicking takedown of the absurdist proposition that is the American Dream, Confidence will seduce you with its characters, keep hold of you with its artfully constructed house of cards, and devastate you with the very human hunger and desire that still pulses underneath.” —Lynn Steger Strong, author of Flight

"Confidence is fresh and hilarious, a quintessentially American tale of con men as well as a rich exploration of the grey areas between falling in love and being scammed. I was enchanted. Frumkin has created a one-of-a-kind masterpiece." —Dan Chaon, New York Times bestselling author of Await Your Reply and Sleepwalk

"Confidence is a fabulous sendup of the American Dream, and our insistence it's still within reach despite all evidence to the contrary. A joyful ride to the top propelled by the knowledge of our hero's impending fall, half the fun is waiting for the other shoe to drop. The rest is in Rafael Frumkin's wit, clever narration, and undeniable pathos." —Julia Fine, author of The Upstairs House

“Frumkin has done it again in this fiendishly funny takedown of the American Dream. Confidence is a Gatsby for our golden age of grifters.”—Andrew Ridker, author of The Altruists

"Speeding toward doom with barely contained glee, Confidence is a scathing social satire that lets no one off the hook—titans of industry, New Age devotees, techie acolytes, suburbanites, revolutionaries, the Dalai Lama—here everyone falls victim to the scam of corporate awakening masquerading as true bliss. Get in the Hummer limo, make your micro-dose into a macro, and prepare to flip off the cliff in this propulsive supply-side joyride." —Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, author of The Freezer Door

"Confidence is a beautifully written dark comedy that shines light on the failures of capitalism, greed, and the American Dream." —Okezie Nwoka, author of God of Mercy

"Rafael Frumkin's Confidence is the enthralling, unsparing, and incisive tale of two twinned, vexed love affairs: Ezra's with Orson, and America's with scamming and being scammed. This book will entertain you as much as an evening with a charismatic huckster, but unlike a huckster, it delivers what it promises and it won't cost you your life savings." —David Burr Gerrard, author of The Epiphany Machine