In Julie Orringer's extraordinary fourth book, Luna, Phoenix, Queen, dementia threatens the marriage and writing of two Midwestern academics, but familial and erotic bonds endure. And through it all threads one exceptional dog.
To call this a story of adultery and betrayal would sell it short. After literature professor Dava Pennington is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease and moves into a nursing home, her husband, Barr, discovers a hidden manuscript in her study. It's a messy yet brilliant novel of the love between two women who direct a Maine women's shelter. Dava's mother's life story is instantly recognizable, but the text also confirms something Barr has long suspected: Dava's affair with her best friend and colleague, Svetlana White. He edits her handwritten draft of The Refuge, alters the style, tones down the lesbian sex, and publishes it as his own--to great acclaim.
Orringer's title incants the names borne by Barr's assistant Evie's rescue dog, who was badly burned in a house fire. As Luna, she's Barr's confessor; as Phoenix, she's Dava's therapy animal; as Queen, she symbolizes the pull of home, tacit communication, and the hope that memory might surpass words. The chapters range over several decades and as far afield as Dublin and Rome. They resemble linked stories; each is as intricate as a whole novel and reveals a fresh perspective and backstory, including Dava and Barr's sons and Svetlana's daughter. Orringer (The Flight Portfolio) is never less than stellar, and Luna, Phoenix, Queen--which calls to mind Amy Bloom and Meg Wolitzer--is unforgettable. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader, and blogger at Bookish Beck