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COXSACKIE, NY. MARCH 24, 2010 — What happens when you pin all your hopes on a single event—and it all goes horribly wrong? When that event is the uncorking of a fabled bottle of 1787 Château Lafite once owned by Thomas Jefferson, the repercussions are emotional, financial, theatrical and, in every way, unexpected. In this tale of hubris and redemption, aspiration and perseverance, first-time novelist Joanne Sydney Lessner provides a provocative glimpse into the world of fine wine, from the whirl of New York City haute cuisine to the historic vineyards of the Hudson Valley.

When Sy Hampton purchases this legendary bottle—which, through a quirk of preservation, may yet be drinkable—he shocks the wine community by choosing to uncork it privately with a female companion, rather than at a special public event. Sy intends the evening to be a quiet reassertion of his virility in the throes of middle age, but for ambitious restaurateur Annette Lecocq, the event offers an irresistible opportunity for much-needed publicity. Their competing agendas are not the only things to collide on the fateful night. Caught in the crossfire are Tripp Macgregor, a waiter on the verge of his longawaited Broadway debut, and Valentina D’Ambrosio, the beautiful but unworldly working girl from Brooklyn Sy hopes to impress.

A few years ago, through what she describes as a game of “urban legend telephone,” Lessner became intrigued by a fractured account of an actual incident, in which the contents of a 1787 Château Margaux wound up on the floor of the Four Seasons. But as Lessner notes, “By the time I unearthed the true story of that night, the fantasy version— and my utterly fictitious characters—had taken root in my mind. The result is Pandora’s Bottle.”

Pandora’s Bottle will be published in June 2010 by Flint Mine Press.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JOANNE SYDNEY LESSNER (www.joannelessner.com) has written several musicals with her husband, composer/conductor Joshua Rosenblum, including the cult hit Fermat’s Last Tango, which received its Off Broadway premiere at the York Theatre Company and its European premiere at the Teatro da Trindade in Lisbon, Portugal. The original cast recording became a bestseller, and the film version has been screened from New Jersey to New Zealand. Einstein’s Dreams, based on the celebrated novel by Alan Lightman, received its world premiere at the Teatro da Trindade and has been presented in concert in New York. Lessner’s original plays include Critical Mass, winner of the 2009 Heiress Productions Playwriting Competition, slated to open Off Broadway at the Lion Theater in October 2010, and Crossing Lines, a finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference. She is a regular contributing writer to Opera News and holds a B.A. in music, summa cum laude, from Yale University. Lessner was raised in the Hudson Valley and currently resides in New York City with her husband and two children. Pandora’s Bottle is her first novel.

About the Publisher

Flint Mine Press (www.flintminepress.com) is a small publishing group committed to enabling new and independent authors and organizations to reach their creative potential. Flint Mine Press endeavors to publish works that foster an understanding of the history and culture of New York State, with a concentration on the Hudson Valley region. Flint Mine Press focuses on works of historical and regional interest, favoring close collaboration between author and publisher. In this regard, Flint Mine Press is dedicated to maintaining highquality standards while producing substantial, unique and energetic books and publications.

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