Book Blurb:
Dava and Barr Pennington, professors at a Midwestern university, both harbor potent secrets. Fiction writing is his specialty; English literature is hers. But Dava is unhappy in their marriage, and secretly in love with a colleague, Svetlana White, who teaches in the Russian Studies department; spurred by their complicated liaison, she spends her nights working on a novel about two women who run a domestic violence shelter in coastal Maine. Though she loves the work and the refuge it provides, the writing becomes increasingly difficult as her memory begins to fail; tests reveal that she’s suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s. Soon afterward, her husband, alone in the house at night, discovers her hidden manuscript, which he reads with envy, and then with anger, as he extrapolates his wife’s affair from the relationship described in the novel’s pages. Over the next two years he rewrites the novel and publishes it as his own, to wide acclaim. But persistent feelings of guilt lead him to confess his theft to an unlikely party, who leads others to the truth.
My Review: 4.5 stars
Luna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie Orringer was a stunning work a fiction that read beautifully and felt fresh for the literary fiction genre. Honestly, the first chapter led me to believe this was a book about a man and his dog, but it was so much more. This book took me on an intimate journey with the characters due to the second person point of view.
As with many narratives, the author employed interconnected chapters which allowed the reader to reflect upon the information we just learned, and how it affects the plot for future chapters. I also liked when she’d sometimes revisit a situation from a different character’s POV. It’s exactly what they mean when they say there’s three sides to every story. Truly beautifully written.
The characters in the novel were well fleshed out which made me easily get into their purpose and intent. From the blurb you’ll learn the male main character has some immoral leanings that pushes the story onward. His obsession with the Luna, an emaciated shelter dog that he walks, but won’t adopt, is quite telling of his mental state. He is also completely oblivious to his wife’s affair with Svetlana and has no clue she’s writing a novel. That novel becomes one of the most prevalent issues and themes in the book.
Luna is also a driving force for the book as she’s present throughout the novel. Her name changes three times and each name is from a different owner. Her part is integral to the story coming together. Finally, Dava, Barr’s wife who suffers from early onset Alzheimer’s is a key character. Her decline from this despicable disease was well portrayed and heartbreaking.
Themes of betrayal, marital issues, secrets, LGBTQ+, shelter dogs, plagiarism, and living with Alzheimer’s were all woven through the story.
Overall, this book packs a serious punch in just two-hundred and eighty-eight pages. Balanced, well-paced and one that will stay with me long after I finished.
Quotes I liked:
There’s no justice, but there might be truth.”
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