Kitty Zeldis's "One of Them"

Kitty Zeldis is the pseudonym for a novelist and non-fiction writer of books for adults and children. She is the author of Not Our Kind and The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, NY.

Zeldis's new novel, One of Them, is "a story of secrets, friendship, and betrayal about two young women at Vassar in the years after World War II, a powerful and moving tale of prejudice and pride that echoes the cultural and social issues of today."

Here Zeldis dreamcasts an adaptation of One of Them:

For Sophie, I can see Anne Hathaway. Sophie is an artist. She’s charming, passionate and extremely smart; she’s also selfish, dramatic and an often indifferent mother to Delia. These are not attractive qualities but what is attractive is her single-mindedness, something every artist needs to pursue her path. Hathaway is someone whose career I’ve followed and so I believe she has the range to play this role—she’d have the charisma but also the dark notes.

Anya Taylor-Joy would fill the role of Anne Bishop well. There’s a sense that she’s very tightly wound and working hard to maintain control; since Anne has put herself in the unenviable position of pretending to be someone she is not, she too is keeping a tight rein on her actions and emotions. Taylor-Joy’s brittleness could reflect this tension and I’d love to see her play the part.

My last pick is Saoirse Ronan for the part of Delia. I love, love, love Ronan and think she is a brilliant actress. Her strong and unapologetic sense of herself would convey these traits of Delia’s perfectly. Delia is her own person, not particularly troubled by or even really concerned with other people’s opinions of her and Ronan could bring that to the screen.

My Book, The Movie: Not Our Kind.

Writers Read: Kitty Zeldis (December 2018).

Coffee with a Canine: Kitty Zeldis & Dottie.

The Page 69 Test: Not Our Kind.

The Page 69 Test: The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights.

--Marshal Zeringue