An enchanting and staggeringly original debut novel about one day in the lives of three unforgettable characters   Madeleine Altimari is a smart-mouthed, rebellious nine-year-old who also happens to be an aspiring jazz singer. Still mourning the recent death of her mother, and caring for her grief-stricken father, she doesn’t realize that on the eve of Christmas Eve she is about to have the most extraordinary day—and night—of her life. After bravely facing down mean-spirited classmates and rejection at school, Madeleine doggedly searches for Philadelphia's legendary jazz club The Cat's Pajamas, where she’s determined to make her on-stage debut. On the same day, her fifth grade teacher Sarina Greene, who’s just moved back to Philly after a divorce, is nervously looking forward to a dinner party that will reunite her with an old high school crush, afraid to hope that sparks might fly again. And across town at The Cat's Pajamas, club owner Lorca discovers that his beloved haunt may have to close forever, unless someone can find a way to quickly raise the $30,000 that would save it.   As these three lost souls search for love, music and hope on the snow-covered streets of Philadelphia, together they will discover life’s endless possibilities over the course of one magical night. A vivacious, charming and moving debut, 2 A.M. at The Cat's Pajamas will capture your heart and have you laughing out loud. NPR’s Best Books of 2014 selection PopSugar 2014 Must Reads selection L Magazine 2014 Gift Guide Kansas City Star - 100 best books of 2014 Selection BuzzFeed - The 22 Most Exciting Literary Debuts Of 2014 Selection "Delightful...[This] story has it all." —Time Out New York “Inventive, gorgeously written and unforgettable."-- NPR “Enchanting…Rich and real…The book feels lively, with the jostling energy of…well, a club.”— The Millions "Set in a famous Philadelphia jazz club, this uplifting novel centers on three lonely people — including a precocious 9-year-old who dreams of becoming a singer — and their fateful search for companionship over the course of one Christmas Eve night."— Bustle.com "The story of a lonely 9-year-old girl’s quest to perform at a Philadelphia jazz club on Christmas Eve rolls along much like a piece of music — different story lines wind and unwind like musical themes, and these stories are all threaded together with a consistently energized brio like one of the tunes played at the club giving the book its title. Each sentence, as well, is composed with a poetic ear; no line is wasted. That’s rare.” – San Francisco Chronicle "Exposes both the beauty and burden of urban living…A clever tale of missed opportunities and seized ones,  Cat’s Pajamas’  characters mirror the story’s inspiration. Like jazz, they’re unruly, improvised, and endlessly impassioned.”– Austin Chronicle   “The novel’s true genius, though, is [Bertino's] wry insight into her delightful characters…crafted by a writer who shows that less is more, and that perfectly worded less is magic.” - - The Philadelphia City Paper "Bertino conveys heartbreak and hopefulness in this lyrical, outlandish story that’s infused with grit and moments of truth...wonderfully weird and witty... magical."-- Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star  “[ 2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas  is] funny and sad and full of a lyricism that is as rare as it is appreciated.” -- The L Magazine “[ 2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas ] is the most charming thing I have ever read in my entire existence on this planet…Come for the beauty and heartbreak, stay for the funny one-liners.” - Book Riot “The purely original construction of an irresistible story… Readers will fall in love…This assured, moving, brilliantly funny tale of music, mourning, and off-kilter romance entrances with its extraordinarily inventive language. Be prepared for a quick reread of this novel to try to answer the question: How did Bertino do that?” — Library Journal (starred review) “A torch song to the power of jazz, determination and serendipity….Bertino's carefully crafted verbal cadence gives Philadelphia a thumping heartbeat that captures the feel of the jazz medium perfectly… Funny and wise, this first novel will leave readers with smiles on their faces and a song in their hearts--something with a little swing to it, naturally.”— Shelf Awareness "Vibrant...Bertino's characters are spot-on, and her special brand of humor brings each one to life in this fresh and charming tale."— Booklist “ 2 A.M. at The Cat's Pajamas won me over heart and soul. With Madeleine Altimari, a nine year old aspiring jazz singer with a wonderful talent for cursing, Bertino has created one of the most winning and wonderful characters I've met in a long time. Read this book to see a debut author doing something really special, crafting a story where human kindness meets up with an inhospitable world and real magic happens in the aftermath.” – Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling