An uplifting, magical story about a once-celebrated antique appraiser who gets caught in the thrall of a strange, powerful necklace-one that has the power to transform her life, and the fortunes of those around her.
Grace Schaffer is adrift. Raised by an eminent but emotionally withdrawn scholar, her talent landed her a coveted spot on Antiques Roadshow, where she charmed legions of viewers. But she's recently fallen from her gilded perch, losing her career, her marriage and her very identity in the process, leaving her with the same question her clients so often ask of her: What is it worth? Or, the question that beats beneath it, What am I worth?
In a last-ditch attempt to revive her career, she signs on to an amateur travelling show, where an old, tarnished necklace catches her eye. Imbued with a strange and sudden confidence, she begins predicting the precise amount that objects will sell for at auction-far beyond their market values. As she performs act after act of this seeming divination, Grace catches the attention of detractors and fans alike, all clamoring to see what she'll do next. Caught in the necklace's strange and possibly dangerous thrall, Grace is soon thrust into the hunt to uncover a lost masterpiece… before it disappears forever, taking her hopes and dreams with it.
As Grace struggles to find her own worth outside the comfort of marriage, the limelight of career, of even the necklace's awesome power, she comes face to face with the hardest appraisal of all…herself. Antique takes readers on an exhilarating journey of art and love, one that will leave them believing in the magic that lies within us all-should we dare to use it. Seth Panitch is a playwright, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He is also a professor of theatre and heads the MFA Acting program at the University of Alabama. Antique is his first book. "From the moment I opened Antique, I was hooked. Seth Panitch's charming characters bring to life the world of antique appraisal, where grails are sought, and value and worth are measured by more than what meets the eye. Readers will fall hard for this life-affirming page turner that charms and enchants, and ultimately celebrates the healing power of kindness. I couldn't put this book down."-Erin Palmisano, author of The Secrets of Maiden's Cove
