A life-affirming, if fragmented, page-turner written in a refreshingly offbeat style.
The lives of two strangers interconnect in unexpected ways in Anderson’s debut novel.
Chris is a Milwaukee-based tech whiz who, along with his friends, is in the process of developing an app that helps arborists find work. At the opening of the novel he’s pale, addicted to “things that made them feel alive or dead, depending on the need.” Jo is a divorced woman who owns a flower store in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, cares deeply for her community, and is tentative about getting involved in a romantic relationship. Chris’ app is an instant success, making him a multimillionaire. However, his new wealth leads him to become more introverted, and he turns to painting as an outlet. After his mother presents him with a paintbrush that belonged to his deceased father, his creations perplex him, and he begins to find himself in situations that exactly match his imagined paintings. Meanwhile, Jo wrestles with her feelings for Grant, a friend and employee, but is shocked by his xenophobic response when she hires a woman named Paj. Restless, Jo takes an impromptu trip to Zurich, where she meets the enigmatic Micha, a garden designer. They have an unforgettable evening together and then part ways. The novel follows Chris’ and Jo’s seemingly independent lives over the course of a year. Readers will be kept guessing how, if ever, the two strangers’ lives will connect.
This is an intriguing work of subtle magical realism and unconventional romance. Anderson shows off a delightful descriptive style that’s beautifully simple yet effortlessly evocative: “Every year she noticed the same old man walk past daily and pause, noticing new buds pop wide as if from a magician’s hand.” The author creates psychologically believable characters that develop as the novel progresses. It’s particularly interesting to observe how Chris matures from the “video games, porn, and the occasional programming language” aficionado of his graduate years to a man fully immersed in the creative process. There are moments when Anderson shares wise advice through minor characters; after Chris’ mother suffers a stroke, for example, he’s advised by his mother’s nurse: “Try to give yourself as few of those regrets as you possibly can. You might think you can’t climb this mountain. But you can.” On other occasions, the author effectively wields humor; while describing a visit to a nudist club, he writes, “Jo didn’t know if naked was the right word, since the man was wearing a cowboy hat.” The novel has notably short chapters, moving back and forth between Chris and Jo. It’s a notably disjointed approach, but it often quickens the pace of an already compelling work. Anderson’s characters sometimes impulsively partake in unexpected activities, such as Jo’s overseas trip, but this adds a further element of surprise to a plot that has many diverting twists and turns. Overall, Anderson’s debut is an intelligent celebration of life, love, and creative endeavor and often proves a joy to read.
A life-affirming, if fragmented, page-turner written in a refreshingly offbeat style.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9798988749301
Page Count: 610
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A pleasant if not entirely convincing tribute to the power of art.
A French art historian’s English-language fiction debut combines the story of a loving relationship between a grandfather and granddaughter with an enlightening discussion of art.
One day, when 10-year-old Mona removes the necklace given to her by her now-dead grandmother, she experiences a frightening, hour-long bout of blindness. Her parents take her to the doctor, who gives her a variety of tests and also advises that she see a psychiatrist. Her grandfather Henry tells her parents that he will take care of that assignment, but instead, he takes Mona on weekly visits to either the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, or the Centre Pompidou, where each week they study a single work of art, gazing at it deeply and then discussing its impact and history and the biography of its maker. For the reader’s benefit, Schlesser also describes each of the works in scrupulous detail. As the year goes on, Mona faces the usual challenges of elementary school life and the experiences of being an only child, and slowly begins to understand the causes of her temporary blindness. Primarily an amble through a few dozen of Schlesser’s favorite works of art—some well known and others less so, from Botticelli and da Vinci through Basquiat and Bourgeois—the novel would probably benefit from being read at a leisurely pace. While the dialogue between Henry and the preternaturally patient and precocious Mona sometimes strains credulity, readers who don’t have easy access to the museums of Paris may enjoy this vicarious trip in the company of a guide who focuses equally on that which can be seen and the context that can’t be. Come for the novel, stay for the introductory art history course.
A pleasant if not entirely convincing tribute to the power of art.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9798889661115
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Europa Editions
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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