Monogamy by Sue Miller

Yes! Sue Miller has a new novel after a long drought. I have been on such a winning streak with great reads lately, thank goodness, as they really light up my days, not to mention those hours of sleeplessness during the night. "Monogamy" will be out in two short months so you can place your holds on it now. It is a gorgeous meditation on the stages of love that we traverse throughout long-term relationships. 

Annie is a photographer trying to get her career off the ground when she agrees on a whim to tag along with her off and on again lover to the open house of a hip new bookstore in Harvard Square. A big, blustery man in motion accidentally spills white wine on Annie's blouse and when she retaliates by dumping her glass of red on his shirt, he roars with pleasure and they are off and running. It seems he is

Graham, the owner of the fabulous store with its big armchairs and soft lighting and he is smitten. 

We learn through the reminiscences of Annie, her daughter Sarah, and her stepson Lucas, about the remarkable thirty year marriage, the years of joy, entertaining friends and writers around the massive table where Graham holds forth and Annie creates magical meals. Of course, it all sounds like perfection and naive readers might be envious, but if you know Miller and if you know your literature you will not be lulled into complacency. 

I loved this book for its wisdom. There are so many other relationships in Annie and Graham's lives that Miller explores with honesty and depth. I found the dynamic between Annie and her daughter Sarah to be especially melancholy but realistic in that Sarah considers herself an outsider in her own family, as if the bond between Graham and Annie was too tight for her to penetrate. Sarah seldom felt seen by her mother, at least not in a way that was loving or nurturing, and this led her to such feelings of unworthiness that she moved across the country to escape. 

And Graham, as a means of assuaging his guilt over divorcing his first wife Frieda, encourages, no insists, that Frieda be a constant presence in his life with Annie and Sarah, to the point where Frieda becomes incapable of creating a fulfilling future of her own. And for this Lucas resents his mother, turning to Annie for solace and understanding. 

I fear that the publicity about this novel tells way too much about the story, which I find often happens in reviews as well. All this information may leave you satisfied enough that you won't feel the need to read the book. But you must, because what Miller does so brilliantly through these deeply complex characters is explore the actual meaning of monogamy and the futility of expecting it to be a black or white paradigm. After all, a breach in a relationship may be much more than a sexual betrayal, in fact, I'd venture that an emotional betrayal can be much more damaging and difficult to overcome. 

Sue Miller's work has always been a mainstay of great book discussions and "Monogamy" is no exception. Whether it be virtual or you'll actually be able to host in-house, socially distant book talks be sure to place this one at the top of your list.