Novelist Sigrid Nunez was an aspiring writer when she first met Susan Sontag, already a legendary figure known for her polemical essays, her blindingly bright intelligence, and her edgy personal style, Sontag introduced Nunez to her son, the writer David Rieff, and the two began dating. Soon Nunez had moved into the apartment that Rieff and Sontag shared.

Described by Nunez as ‘a natural mentor,’ Sontag inevitably infected those around her with her many cultural and intellectual passions. Her influence on Nunez would be profound, and here Nunez looks back with gratitude and offers a startlingly truthful portrait of one of America’s most esteemed and fascinating cultural and intellectual figures.