Early reviews and whispers within literary circles have indicated that Cusk’s upcoming book, Life of M, is based on Portman and the relationship between the two women. And, as Unherd points out, both characters in Cusk’s novel live in an unnamed European city, while both Cusk and Portman reside in Paris. She has chosen Cusk’s novels twice for her own eponymous book club: Second Place in September 2021, and Parade in 2024. Fred Thornhill/REUTERS/Fred ThornhillHowever, other sources close to the actress are attempting to distance her from the book, disputing such claims. The literary critic told the Times that the award-winning writer’s fiction is “deeply unkind to other people.”