The summer beach read tearing Fire Island’s Saltaire apart… and the book’s not even out yet!
The saucy scandal of a cheap beach read is a coveted summer treat for many bookworms.
But what if the genesis of the book is even juicier than the contents of its pages?
That’s the question now following Bad Summer People, an as-yet unpublished novel by Emma Rosenblum, Bustle’s head of content who used the quiet town of Saltaire on Fire Island as her inspiration.
Rosenblum’s father Scott was once the mayor of the seaside down and she has spent much of her life there.
Now, she is raising eyebrows in the town after using its hallmarks – and possibly even its residents – as the backdrop for her book.
Bustle executive Emma Rosenblum’s debut novel, Bad Summer People, is already causing a stir on Fire Island and it hasn’t been published yet
The town of Saltaire on Fire Island is full of moneyed Manhattanites who keep a lower profile than the flashy Hamptons crowd
Insider cites residents who are abuzz with fears that their secrets will be spilled on Rosenblum’s pages.
The book is about a murder in the town but, according to Insider’s sources, also centers around the affairs and scandals of the characters.
‘People are offended because she’s such a key-holder, such a privileged part of the community, that for her to be spilling is a no-go,’ said one person.
The leaked manuscript revealed that the murder victim in the plot shares a name, job and ‘summer hobby’ with a very real resident.
One character is quoted as saying she ‘can’t wait to never hear the words Black Lives Matter ever again.’
Rosenblum declined to comment when contacted by DailyMail.com, as did Flatiron Books.
Rosenblum poked fun at the scandal in her Instagram story earlier this week, posting from Saltaire
Fire Island is best known for its gay party scene but the town of Saltaire has long flown relatively under the radar
The book’s synopsis is: ‘Every summer, from Memorial Day until Labour Day, privileged New Yorkers flock to second homes on Fire Island trailing children, nannies and picnic baskets.
‘They exchange busy jobs and city lives for gossip, tennis and adultery, and the summer of Bad Summer People sets out to be no different – until a body is discovered by the side of the boardwalk.
‘As the summer goes on, cracks begin to show between the perfect couples and their perfect lives. None of them would admit to being particularly good. But who among them is actually capable of murder?’
Part of the drama surrounds the residents’ desire to keep their summer spot a secret from other Manhattanites.
Fire Island is best known for its gay party scene, with the small, quieter town of Saltaire largely flying under the radar for years.
There are fears that the book threatens to ruin that by making it a summer hot spot.
Bad Summer People is due to be published in May next year.
