Emily Everett’s stunning debut novel, All That Life Can Afford, is an intricate exploration of what happens when we try to rewrite ourselves – and the inevitable cost of leaving our pasts behind. With prose as precise as it is evocative, Everett crafts a uniquely compelling narrative about class anxiety, impostor syndrome, and the pursuit of belonging in a world that seems designed to keep outsiders at bay.
The Dance Between Two Worlds
At the heart of “All That Life Can Afford” is Anna Byrne, a recent college graduate who arrives in London with two suitcases and a lifelong dream. Having grown up in a working-class Massachusetts household marked by her mother’s diabetes and financial struggles, Anna has always seen London through the lens of Jane Austen novels—a romanticized escape from her reality. When she finally lands there for her master’s degree, she’s determined to reinvent herself completely.
Everett brilliantly portrays Anna’s navigation between two worlds: the gritty reality of her bartending job and cramped flat, and the glittering social circles she enters when she becomes a tutor for the wealthy Wilder family. Her protagonist is endearing precisely because her desires are so relatable—who hasn’t craved acceptance, wondered what it would be like to shed one’s past, or felt the magnetic pull of a more glamorous existence?
What elevates this novel above typical class-clash narratives is Everett’s nuanced understanding of the psychology behind social climbing. Anna isn’t simply drawn to wealth; she’s seeking a world where money isn’t a constant worry, where people move with confidence and ease. The magnetism of this possibility feels visceral on the page.
Evocative Settings That Breathe
Everett demonstrates remarkable skill in bringing settings to life, whether depicting:
- The cramped, mouse-infested Kentish Town flat Anna shares with her roommates
- The breezy luxury of the Wilders’ villa in Saint-Tropez
- The palatial Highgate home where Anna house-sits
- The hushed, reverent spaces of the British Library
Each location pulses with sensory detail that serves the narrative rather than merely decorating it. The contrast between these worlds amplifies Anna’s internal struggle, making her divided existence palpable to readers.
The Saint-Tropez sections particularly shine, with Everett capturing the intoxicating allure of the French Riviera through vivid descriptions of food, architecture, and landscape. These scenes are rendered with such precision that readers can almost taste the figs Anna tries for the first time or feel the sun-warmed tiles beneath her feet.
A Cast of Complex Characters
One of the novel’s chief strengths is its nuanced portrayal of characters across class lines. No one is reduced to a stereotype:
- The Wilders – Particularly Faye and Pippa – could easily have become caricatures of privilege. Instead, Faye emerges as a fascinatingly complicated figure whose surface confidence masks her own insecurities, while teenage Pippa possesses surprising depth and insight.
- Theo represents the seductive ease of the upper class – charming, generous, and ultimately unreliable in ways that feel authentic rather than manufactured for plot purposes.
- Callum offers the most compelling foil to Anna’s journey – himself straddling different worlds with his working-class Portuguese family background and his entry into elite academic and social circles.
- Liv and Andre, Anna’s loyal friends, ground the narrative with their authenticity and provide a crucial contrast to the Highgate set.
The tension between these worlds creates the novel’s most compelling moments. As Anna tries on different versions of herself, these characters serve as mirrors reflecting what she might become – or what she risks losing.
Stylistic Strengths and Occasional Missteps
Everett’s prose is admirably restrained, letting the emotional complexity of scenes emerge organically rather than forcing dramatic moments. Her dialogue feels particularly authentic, capturing distinct voices across social backgrounds without resorting to caricature.
The novel’s pacing establishes a gradual accretion of tension, with Anna’s decisions creating a precarious house of cards that we know must eventually collapse. The inevitable unraveling at a Highgate party is masterfully executed, with Everett maintaining absolute control over the scene’s escalating humiliation.
If “All That Life Can Afford” has weaknesses, they lie in occasional plot developments that feel slightly manufactured. The legal threats from the Wilders seem somewhat exaggerated given the nature of Anna’s deception, and the resolution of her academic payment troubles wraps up a bit too neatly. However, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise meticulously crafted narrative.
Thematic Richness
Beyond its compelling plot, All That Life Can Afford offers thoughtful exploration of several resonant themes:
- The performance of identity – Anna’s careful study of the language, mannerisms, and dress codes of her new social circle reveals how class is not just about money but about cultural capital.
- Grief as a catalyst for reinvention – Anna’s attempt to escape her past is inextricably linked to the loss of her mother, adding emotional depth to her choices.
- The double-edged nature of aspiration – The novel neither condemns Anna’s social ambitions nor presents them uncritically, instead examining the complex psychology of wanting to belong.
- Literature as both escape and framework – Anna’s dissertation on novels about Americans abroad becomes a meta-commentary on her own experience, adding intellectual richness to her personal journey.
What makes “All That Life Can Afford” particularly affecting is its eventual recognition that Anna doesn’t need to completely transform herself to find belonging. The conclusion strikes a delicate balance, neither punishing her for her ambition nor suggesting that class boundaries don’t matter.
A Literary Lineage
Everett places her novel in conversation with a rich literary tradition. The parallels to Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth are particularly striking, with Anna as a modern-day Lily Bart navigating social climbing and its pitfalls. There are echoes of Henry James in the careful observation of Americans abroad, and of E.M. Forster in the examination of class divisions and the possibility of connection across them.
Yet the novel never feels derivative. Everett’s exploration of class in the contemporary context—with its social media comparisons and gig economy realities—feels thoroughly modern and authentic to our moment.
Final Verdict
All That Life Can Afford announces Emily Everett as a significant new literary voice with a keen eye for social dynamics and an impressive command of character development. While occasionally yielding to convenient plot resolutions, the novel succeeds brilliantly in its central ambition: examining the allure and cost of reinvention.
What lingers most after finishing is Anna’s journey toward authenticity—not as a simplistic “be yourself” moral, but as a hard-won understanding that her past, with all its complications, is an essential part of who she is. The novel suggests that true belonging doesn’t come from erasing ourselves to fit into new worlds, but from finding places and people that allow us to be fully seen.
Strengths:
- Vivid, immersive settings across London and the French Riviera
- Complex, multi-dimensional characters across the class spectrum
- Nuanced exploration of class dynamics without resorting to easy moralization
- Strong, controlled prose that flows effortlessly
- Thoughtful engagement with literary tradition
Areas for Improvement:
- Some plot developments feel slightly contrived for convenience
- Legal consequences threatened by the Wilders seem disproportionate
- A few secondary characters (particularly some of the Highgate friends) remain somewhat underdeveloped
Perfect For:
- Readers who enjoyed Kiley Reid’s Such a Fun Age or Sally Rooney’s class-conscious relationships
- Fans of novels about Americans abroad, from Henry James to contemporary works
- Anyone who has ever felt like an impostor or struggled to reconcile different aspects of their identity
- Book clubs looking for nuanced discussions about class, authenticity, and reinvention
All That Life Can Afford delivers a remarkably assured debut that balances entertainment with serious literary merit. In Anna’s journey, Everett has crafted a timely meditation on class mobility, cultural belonging, and what we gain or lose when we try to rewrite ourselves. It’s a novel that stays with you long after turning the final page, inviting reflection on your own masks and performances in an increasingly stratified world.
