Clodagh "Clo" Harmon is a "Workhorse," forced by her moderate background to work hard to secure--and hopefully one day transcend--her highly coveted assistant position at "the magazine," an important and chic publication in the early 2000s. Clo finds that she is surrounded by "Show Horses": "Ivy League-educated... white [girls] who [were] born into some variation of generational wealth... whose pedigree and connections burnish the reputation of the magazine and confirm it as a safe space for their fellow elite." Desperate for acceptance into this alluring inner circle, Clo is determined for her ambition, ingenuity, and Louboutin sample sale boots to make it to the top.
Clo's struggle to fit into elite parties and sample sizes creates awkward, humorous moments that set her apart from her elegant, elusive peers. Davis Lawrence, a Show Horse in every sense of the term, takes Clo under her wing. Shopping trips on other people's accounts, weekends in the Hamptons, and nights out at the most exclusive clubs in New York give Clo a taste of the life she's always wanted. But as her shoes and the parties get glitzier, the glamour begins to fade and reveal the high stakes and morally questionable risks she must take to maintain it.
Clo's introspective, engrossing look into publishing explores how class, status, and gender roles formed and controlled the editorial world in the 2000s. A sharp and provocative debut, Caroline Palmer's Workhorse comments on the industry's drawbacks while celebrating the deep friendships, hard work, and extravagant perks that came with it. --Clara Newton, freelance reviewer