New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a mesmerizing novel about a
first-generation Ivy League student who uncovers the genius work of a female artist decades
after her suspicious deathWho gets to leave a legacy?1985. Anita de Monte a rising star in the
art world is found dead in New York City her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it
isn't. By 1998 Anita's name has been all but forgotten-certainly by the time Raquel a
third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill surrounded by
progeny of film producers C-Suite executives and international art-dealers most of whom
float through life knowing that their futures are secured Raquel feels herself an outsider.
Students of color like Raquel are the minority there and the pressure to work twice as hard
for the same opportunities is no secret. But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a
well-connected older art student she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As
she attempts to straddle both worlds she stumbles upon Anita's story raising questions about
the dynamics of her own relationship which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist. Moving
back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both women Anita de Monte Laughs
Last is a propulsive witty examination of power love and art daring to ask who gets to be
remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite.
