“The Dud Avocado ”follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy’s Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking. Charming, sexy, and hilarious, “The Dud Avocado” gained instant cult status when it was first published and it remains a timeless portrait of a woman hell-bent on living.
“I had to tell someone how much I enjoyed “The Dud Avocado.” It made me laugh, scream, and guffaw (which, incidentally, is a great name for a law firm).” –Groucho Marx
"[“The Dud Avocado”] is one of the best novels about growing up fast..." “-The Guardian”

“The Dud Avocado ”follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy’s Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking. Charming, sexy, and hilarious, “The Dud Avocado” gained instant cult status when it was first published and it remains a timeless portrait of a woman hell-bent on living.
“I had to tell someone how much I enjoyed “The Dud Avocado.” It made me laugh, scream, and guffaw (which, incidentally, is a great name for a law firm).” –Groucho Marx
" “The Dud Avocado”] is one of the best novels about growing up fast..." “-The Guardian”

Elaine Dundy was born in New York City and attended Sweet Briar College. At the end of World War II, she traveled to Europe, living in Paris before settling in London. In 1951, Dundy married the theater critic Kenneth Tynan. A novelist and writer for the BBC's satirical “That Was the Week That Was,” she also composed plays and wrote biographies, including “Finch, Bloody Finch: A Biography of Peter Finch ”and “Elvis and Gladys,” A resident of Los Angeles, her most recent book is her autobiography, "Life Itself!"