Sex and Vanity: A Novel

Kevin Kwan

Sex and Vanity: A Novel

Kevin Kwan
45 pages1-hour read
Fiction
Novel
Adult
Published in 2020

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Lucie is a 19-year-old Chinese American biology major at Brown University who struggles to balance her artistic passions with her elite New York family's strict social rules. Following her father's death when she was a child, she developed a tightly controlled public persona to prove her worth to her demanding paternal grandmother. She frequently subdues her own desires to avoid judgment from her homogenous, upper-crust social circle. Her carefully constructed facade begins to crack during a luxurious trip to Italy, forcing her to confront what she truly wants.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of George Zao

Fiancée of Cecil Pine

Daughter of Marian Churchill

Daughter of Reginald Churchill

Sister of Freddie Churchill

Granddaughter of Consuelo Barclay Churchill

Friend of Isabel Chiu

George is a wealthy wedding guest from Hong Kong who also spends time in Australia and Hawaii. Unlike the rest of the high-society attendees, he dresses casually in denim shorts and Birkenstocks, disregarding elite social codes. He studies environmental issues at UC Berkeley and maintains an authentic, observant demeanor that confounds the tightly-laced guests around him. He refuses to tailor his behavior or appearance to meet the superficial expectations of the upper crust.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of Lucie Churchill

Son of Rosemary Zao

Foil to Cecil Pine

Cecil is a wealthy, renowned bachelor who lives in Greenwich Village and drives a 1973 Ferrari. He relies heavily on social media validation and public spectacles to cement his status as one of Esquire's "Most Desired Dudes." He treats his relationships as extensions of his personal brand, valuing aesthetic perfection and social clout over genuine emotional intimacy.

Key Relationships

Fiancé of Lucie Churchill

Son of Renée Pike

Rival of George Zao

Friend of Cornelia Guest

Supporting Characters

Charlotte is Lucie's single, older cousin who acts as her chaperone during the trip to Italy. Dubbed "Madam Buzzkill" by her younger relatives, she embodies the elitist attitudes of her affluent background. She constantly complains about minor inconveniences, scrutinizes other guests' outfits, and rigorously polices the behaviors of those around her to protect the prestigious Churchill family name.

Key Relationships

Cousin of Lucie Churchill

Granddaughter of Consuelo Barclay Churchill

Acquaintance of Olivia Lavistock

Rosemary is George's wealthy mother from Hong Kong. Friendly and generous, she casually offers to give up her room to appease Charlotte's complaints. Her garish displays of wealth and relaxed manners make her a frequent target of high-society gossip, though she remains largely unbothered by the elitist judgments of the other wedding guests.

Key Relationships

Mother of George Zao

Acquaintance of Marian Churchill

Marian is Lucie and Freddie's mother, a third-generation Asian American who married into the prominent Churchill family. She is deeply concerned with her children's adherence to the family's elite expectations and sacrifices her own cultural traditions to ensure they fit in with the upper crust.

Key Relationships

Mother of Lucie Churchill

Mother of Freddie Churchill

Widow of Reginald Churchill

Acquaintance of Rosemary Zao

Freddie is Lucie's brother, who embodies the quintessential WASP persona expected of the Churchill family. He shares a quiet camaraderie with his sister and navigates the elite social circles of New York and the Hamptons with an ease that Lucie often struggles to emulate.

Key Relationships

Brother of Lucie Churchill

Son of Marian Churchill

Son of Reginald Churchill

Isabel is Lucie's close friend whose glamorous lifestyle involves a 408-guest wedding in Italy. She feels protective over Lucie due to the early loss of Lucie's father, and she provides the luxurious setting that forces Lucie out of her strict routine.

Key Relationships

Friend of Lucie Churchill

Bride of Adolfo De Vecchi

Consuelo is Lucie's paternal grandmother and the formidable matriarch of the Churchill family. She lives in a renowned Fifth Avenue apartment and subjected Lucie to rigorous etiquette and posture lessons throughout her childhood, instilling a deep fear of social missteps.

Key Relationships

Grandmother of Lucie Churchill

Grandmother of Charlotte Barclay

Olivia is a wedding guest in Capri who works in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. She carries a Leica camera and absorbs the gossip circulating among the elite socialites, later turning her observations into the feature film *Glimpses of the Moon*.

Key Relationships

Confidante of Charlotte Barclay

Observer of Lucie Churchill

Auden is a yoga instructor, life coach, and motivational speaker who attends the Capri wedding. He is a fixture in the wealthy community, teaching puppy yoga classes in East Hampton, and takes a genuine interest in Lucie's painting skills.

Key Relationships

Acquaintance of Lucie Churchill

Acquaintance of Charlotte Barclay

Paloma is one of the wealthy Ortiz sisters attending Isabel's wedding. She is nosy and casually insensitive, frequently pestering Lucie about her Chinese heritage and appearance under the guise of polite conversation.

Key Relationships

Sister of Mercedes Ortiz

Acquaintance of Lucie Churchill

Mercedes is the other Ortiz sister in Capri. Like Paloma, she represents the intrusive nature of the elite circle, demanding to know the specifics of Lucie's family history and making her feel like an exotic outsider.

Key Relationships

Sister of Paloma Ortiz

Acquaintance of Lucie Churchill

Mordecai is a wealthy aristocrat who acts as a tour guide for the wedding guests in Italy. He is deeply entrenched in old money traditions and subjects Lucie to highly inappropriate inquisitions about her racial identity during a dinner party.

Key Relationships

Acquaintance of Charlotte Barclay

Interrogator of Lucie Churchill

Renée is Cecil's mother, who is Jewish and partially Hispanic. Her background has historically caused friction with New York's old-money real estate boards, highlighting the exclusionary prejudices that dictate the upper crust's social circles.

Key Relationships

Mother of Cecil Pine

Cornelia is an animal rights activist and high-society figure who attends Marian's gala in Southampton. Her outsider perspective allows her to see through the polite charades of the Churchill family, prompting her to call out Lucie's self-deception.

Key Relationships

Challenger to Lucie Churchill

Friend of Cecil Pine