Fresh on the heels of a high school breakup, Mark Davis has given up on love.

He’s too much for suburban Annondale—too weird and too feminine for the only other gay guy at school. Thankfully, his big brother, Eric, is always there to stop Mark from spiraling into self-loathing.

But as things start looking up for Mark—in the form of Ezra Ambrose—he sees signs that his wise older brother might have problems of his own. When the source of Mark’s strength suddenly becomes the source of his greatest pain, the path back to happiness seems impossible. Desperate for a way out, to briefly live a different life, Mark slips into a dress. His sequined escape becomes an unexpected outlet—a path to authentic connection and an opportunity to see others as fully as he wants to be seen.

Beautifully written, heart-wrenching, and ultimately uplifting, Dan Clay’s debut novel is a stunning story about love, loss, and the ineffable power of a purple princess dress.