When Women Have Secret Families

This spring, I found myself gravitating to TV shows about con artists: Love Fraud, Dirty John, Inventing Anna, and finally The Tinder Swindler, the Netflix documentary about Simon Leviev, who allegedly conned up to $10 million in two years from unsuspecting women he met on Tinder. My novel, about a woman—a mother—secretly married to two men at the same time, would be publishing soon, and watching shows about grifters felt like a comfort ritual, a return to the same search for answers that led me to write the book in the first place.

I can trace my fascination with con artists to 2002, when a baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio played real-life conman Frank Abagnale in Catch Me If You Can. Abagnale posed as a PanAm airline pilot, deadheading around 250 flights, then forged a Harvard Medical School degree and was hired as an emergency-room supervisor. I was most awed by a scene in the ER when a boy is rushed in after a bike accident, jagged tibia spearing upward from a blood-smeared leg. DiCaprio, as Abagnale, as "Dr. Connors," tries to conceal his absolute lack of medical knowledge by asking two residents whether they concur with the obvious diagnosis of a broken leg. Then he makes a quick escape to vomit.

I watched the movie multiple times in theaters, and even then I wondered: Why did I keep coming back?

View in Browser  When Women Have Secret Families This spring, I found myself gravitating to TV shows about con artists: Love Fraud, Dirty John, Inventing Anna, and finally The Tinder Swindler, the Netflix documentary about Simon Leviev, who allegedly conned up to $10 million in two years from unsuspecting women he met on Tinder. My novel, about a woman—a mother—secretly married to two men at the same time, would be publishing soon, and watching shows about grifters felt like a comfort ritual, a return to the same search for answers that led me to write the book in the first place. I can trace my fascination with con artists to 2002, when a baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio played real-life conman Frank Abagnale in Catch Me If You Can. Abagnale posed as a PanAm airline pilot, deadheading around 250 flights, then forged a Harvard Medical School degree and was hired as an emergency-room supervisor. I was most awed by a scene in the ER when a boy is rushed in after a bike accident, jagged tibia spearing upward from a blood-smeared leg. DiCaprio, as Abagnale, as "Dr. Connors," tries to conceal his absolute lack of medical knowledge by asking two residents whether they concur with the obvious diagnosis of a broken leg. Then he makes a quick escape to vomit. I watched the movie multiple times in theaters, and even then I wondered: Why did I keep coming back? Read More J.Lo's Honeymoon Heart Necklace Is a Hollywood A-Lister Staple The Foundrae necklace and charms also happen to be the signature accessories of one of her husband's exes (hint: it's Gwyneth). Read More Created by Town & Country for BritBox 5 Murder Mysteries to Watch After Why Didn't They Ask Evans? British streaming service BritBox is full of whodunits. Read More How to Stream All the Emmy Awards Frontrunners This Year From returning favorites like Succession and Ted Lasso to buzzy new shows like Only Murders in the Building and Severance. Read More Toast to the Holidays with These Celebration-Ready Champagnes The best brands to make any festivities extra special. Read More 16 Bedding Sets for The Most Luxurious Night's Rest Beauty sleep, here we come. Read More How to Prevent and Treat Crow's Feet Experts share their best tips for softening smile lines. Read More Follow Us Unsubscribe | Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection TownandCountry.com ©2022 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019