Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

This is certainly a period piece - NYC - 1937 - a little Great Gatsby, a little Edith Wharton.  Roommates Eve Ross and Katey Content, out on the town, meet Tinker Grey - charming, dashing and apparently very rich.  What are the rules of civility when best friends are attracted to the same man? A tragic accident tips the balance in Eve's favor.  But is she the "winner"?  When Katey discovers a copy of George Washington's "Rules of Civility" on the book shelves in Tinker's apartment, she imagines it a sign of his cultured upbringing.  But as relationships develop and shift and war intervenes, new truths emerge and the book takes on a new meaning.  This focus on a unique time and a specific class of people is elevated by insight and grand language.