Amy Poeppel + Jennifer Westfeldt: Far and Away

Join us for an in-person event with award-winning author Amy Poeppel for the launch of her new book Far and Away. Joining Amy in conversation is writer, producer and actress Jennifer Westfeldt. This event will be hosted in the Strand Book Store's 3rd floor Rare Book Room at 828 Broadway on 12th Street.

Can’t make the event?

ACCESSIBILITY:

Strand Book Store is an ADA compliant venue. The event space is accessible via elevator. Please ask a Strand employee upon arrival for directions to accessible seating if preferred.

ASL interpretation is available for this event by request only. Please reach out to our events team at ZXZlbnRzIHwgc3RyYW5kYm9va3MgISBjb20= by 5/26 to request.

For further information on accessibility in this space, or to make a request, please contact .

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The “absolutely hilarious” (Real Simple) Amy Poeppel delights once again with a charming new novel about a house swap gone wonderfully awry.

Perfect strangers Lucy and Greta have agreed to a house swap—and boy, are they going to regret it.

Lucy’s hometown of Dallas has gone from home sweet home to vicious snake pit in the blink of an eye after her son makes a mistake he can’t undo. And Greta’s beloved flat in Berlin is suddenly up for grabs when her husband Otto takes a dream job in Texas without even telling her. In their rush to leave town, Lucy and Greta make a deal, pack their bags, and—thanks to martinis, desperation, and some very rusty German—have absolutely no idea what they’re getting themselves into.

Trading Southern charm and barbecue for European sophistication and schnitzel, the two women get a lot more than a change of scenery as they move into each other’s houses, neighborhoods, and lives. Greta and Lucy’s husbands are no help: Otto is winning over his colleagues, swimming laps in the backyard pool, and rooting for the Rangers, while Lucy’s husband is doing a six-month stretch out west, either in a NASA biosphere or in J*il, depending on who you ask. Meanwhile, Greta’s daughter Emmi and Lucy’s son Jack get tossed into each other’s orbits, where they both discover secrets they can’t ignore.

When Greta’s biggest career achievement—the buzzworthy purchase of a Vermeer at auction—is thrown into question and Lucy’s past with a hot Viking named Bjørn invades her present, the two women need each other in ways they never could have imagined. Through jet lag, culture shock, suspiciously nice neighbors, and scandals that refuse to be left behind, Lucy and Greta will have to decide if they can ever go home again.

Photo credit: George Baier

Amy Poeppel is the award-winning author of the novels Far and Away, The Sweet Spot, Musical Chairs, Limelight, and Small Admissions. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, Literary Hub, and Working Mother. She and her husband have three sons and split their time between New York City, Germany, and Connecticut. She would love to hear from you on Twitter or Instagram: @AmyPoeppel or at AmyPoeppel.com.

An actress and filmmaker, Jennifer Westfeldt is perhaps best known for writing, producing and starring in the indie films Kissing Jessica Stein (Indie Spirit Nomination, Golden Satellite Award, GLAAD Media Award, multiple Audience Awards), Ira & Abby (Best Actress/HBO Comedy Festival, multiple Audience Awards), and Friends with Kids (Top Ten Films of 2012, New York Magazine, NPR), which also marked her directorial debut. On the small screen, select acting credits include "Younger", “Queen America”, “This is Us”, “Girls,” “24,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Notes from the Underbelly,” “Private Practice”, “Two Guys, A Girl and A Pizza Place, "Judging Amy,” and “Children’s Hospital,” among others.

Jennifer made her Broadway debut opposite Donna Murphy in Wonderful Town, directed by Kathleen Marshall, for which she received a Tony nomination, a Theater World Award and a Drama League Award. Other notable New York stage work includes the world premieres of Scott Z. Burns’ The Library at the Public Theater opposite Chloe Grace Moretz, directed by Stephen Soderbergh; Nell Benjamin’s The Explorer’s Club at Manhattan Theater Club, directed by Marc Bruni; Nicky Silver’s Too Much Sun opposite Linda Lavin at The Vineyard Theater, directed by Mark Brokaw; Cusi Cram’s A Lifetime Burning at Primary Stages, directed by Pam McKinnon; and Liba Vaynberg’s The Gett at The Rattlestick Theater, directed by Daniella Topol.

Recent writing credits include the Showtime series First Lady, and the screenplay adaptation of the book The Idea of You (by Robinne Lee) for Amazon MGM Studios, which she co-wrote with Michael Showalter. The film, directed by Showalter and starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, was a critical and commercial hit when it debuted on in May 2025. It represented Amazon MGM Studios’ biggest romantic comedy debut ever, with nearly 50 million global Prime Video viewers in its first two weeks.

Currently, Jennifer is adapting the screenplay of Amy Poeppel’s novel The Sweet Spot for Amazon MGM Studios. In addition to writing, she will co-star in the film and produce alongside Laura Lewis of Rebelle Media.

Also check out other Arts events in New York, Theatre events in New York, Literary Art events in New York.