The Dud Avocado

A witty, irresistible classic about a young, beautiful American who arrives in Paris determined to experience life in all its messy, exhilarating fullness.

The Dud Avocado traces the romantic misadventures and comic escapades of Sally Jay Gorce, a spirited young American who sets out to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. Writers like Edith Wharton and Henry James imagined the American girl abroad—but in Elaine Dundy’s telling, Sally Jay finally reveals what she’s really thinking. Sparkling, seductive, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Dud Avocado became an instant cult favorite upon publication and remains a vibrant portrait of a woman utterly determined to live life on her own terms.