Steven Rowley (Lily and the Octopus) explores the complicated relationship between mothers and sons in his wise and deeply engrossing second novel, The Editor. Set in Manhattan in the 1990s, the story centers on James Smale, an aspiring writer in his late 20s, who has worked "a never-ending string of toxic, depressing temp jobs" and is in a committed--although maybe not forever--relationship with Daniel, a loving and spirited companion who works in the theater.
The book opens with a dramatic and dynamic scene that establishes the tone of the novel: James is summoned to the high-powered offices of Doubleday--the book company has expressed interest in his novel, The Quarantine, a semi-autobiographical story about an emotionally estranged mother and son. Nerves and self-consciousness plague James as he waits in a conference room, and matters grow even more overwhelming when in walks Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis--former first lady of the United States who has become an esteemed editor in the last third of her life.
Onassis selects only manuscripts that deeply resonate with her, and James's story fills the bill: "Books are a journey," she explains. "And I'm always excited to embark on a journey I haven't taken before. So I wanted to meet you." During their brief meeting, James is star-struck, while Jackie steers the conversation toward details of James's story--in particular, the character of the mother in his novel. Is she based on James's own mother? As Jackie and James acclimate to each another, the moment marks the start of a working relationship that will later turn into friendship.
But before that happens, there's hard work to be done. Jackie is sold on James's book, but feels it "needs polishing," and the ending needs an overhaul. Perceptive, analytical and astute Jackie becomes a literary mentor to James. She also raises questions--on the page and off--that gently nudge James to dig deeper into the emotional landscape of his fraught relationship with his mother and the rest of his family.
Rowley imaginatively casts Jackie beyond her larger-than-life, romanticized persona as an ordinary, hardworking woman dedicated to books, the arts and a quiet search for meaning and purpose. Over the course of honing and rewriting the end of his novel--and trying to overcome writer's block and better understand his story and his life--James spends quality time with Jackie in her office and her Fifth Avenue apartment and even visits her home on Martha's Vineyard. In peeling back layers of Jackie-beyond-the myth, James also unveils startling truths about himself and his identity, along with his mother and the relationship they share: the turmoil of the past, secrets kept, sacrifices made and confrontations needed to facilitate healing and a measure of peace.
The resonance of Rowley's originality and sensitivity shines on every page. He has written a refreshing, superbly crafted novel of hard-won self-discovery filled with big, well-paced scenes and a pitch-perfect blend of humor and compassion that will charm and fully engage readers. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines.
Shelf Talker: In this refreshing, imaginative novel of self-discovery, a debut author has his work--and his life--edited by the inimitable Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.