Climbing in Heels

"The Devil Wears Prada meets Sex and the City" - PEOPLE Magazine

Climbing in Heels, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas's debut novel, is a fictional tale of the rise of three secretaries at the hottest agency in 1980's Hollywood, giving you a glimpse into the boys-will-be-boys club and the women who wanted a seat at a table where they were expected to serve.

It's the story of friendship, betrayal, survival, standing up when they pass you by, and saying I won't go when they want you gone. And it's also a story about how some of those women became very much like the monsters who trained them.

Meet Beanie Rosen, the fast-talking and even faster-thinking Valley girl who knows where she wants to go, and doesn't care if she doesn't look the part.

Mercedes Baxter, who learned early on how to leverage the monied friends of her monied friends' parents until she found a foothold in Hollywood.

And Ella Gaddy, a sexy free-spirit anti-debutante from a white-glove Kentucky home who shakes up any room she walks into.

Read Climbing in Heels and watch these women meet, meld, fight, strategize and climb their way into your heart.

A rollicking tale of sex, drugs, and power - in heels.

Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas was a top agent at the William Morris Agency (WMA) in the late 1980s and at ICM (International Creative Management) in the 1990s. She represented many A-list actors, including Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Tim Robbins, and Madonna.

Author: Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 04/29/2025
Pages: 384
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.50w x 1.40d
ISBN: 9781250274786


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 03/01/2025
Booklist 04/01/2025 pg. 29

About the Author
ELAINE GOLDSMITH THOMAS began her career at the William Morris Agency and rose by the late 1980's to become the Senior Vice President of the WMA, and later the Senior Vice President of ICM, guiding the careers of, among others, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, Nicholas Cage, and Madonna. More recently, she has produced a broad, successful slate of films and television series including Maid in Manhattan, Mona Lisa Smile, Hustlers, Marry Me, Emily in Paris, The Fosters and many others. She lives in New York City.