Jessica Soffer’s novel is about a long marriage between an artist and a writer, played out against a New York City background. Jane and Abe met in 1967. She'd excelled in every artistic media she worked while Abe became a prize-winning author. Her ambivalence about motherhood resolved itself after a miscarriage but when Max was born, she'd been overwhelmed by an episode of postnatal depression which only re-immersion in her art eased. Max grows into a man, distant from his mother and wary of emotional involvement. Now, in their final days together, no chance of another remission from the cancer first diagnosed when Max was only five, Jane devotes what little energy she has left to recounting her memories of their past to Abe.
I’d been expecting a straightforward continuous narrative but Soffer’s novel is largely made up of a string of episodic vignettes, short paragraphs of Jane’s memories narrated for us by Abe. It’s a style that takes some getting used to. The section narrated by Alice, Abe’s student with whom he had a brief connection which scars his marriage, jarred with me in a way Max’s section didn’t, casting light on his relationship with his parents. That said, the structure and style lends an intimacy to Soffer’s book together with an urgency as Jane becomes more diminished. Her writing is quite beautiful at times, conveying the depth of this relationship between two people, both flawed, deeply enmeshed in each other’s lives, one aware that he will soon be left alone. Interspersed with their story are brief sections devoted to Central Park where Abe and Jane have spent so many hours – another love story of sorts full of characters, nature, performance, celebration and love. Not an easy novel to write about – I don’t feel I’ve entirely done it justice – but it’s one that will stay with me for some time.

Can something be quiet and intimate yet impactful and expansive? Because that’s the best way I can describe this book.

This is a love story, (not a romance), showcasing love in all its beauty, cruelty, and powerful endurance. Abe and Jane are loveable, infuriating, sympathetic, complex, interesting and deeply, deeply human. The portrait Soffer painted of them was beautifully intimate and brutally honest.

Their beloved Central Park is a character unto itself showcasing lyrical, moving vignettes of people that connect with and pass through the park. Not just our characters, but little insights into the park itself and the people, and dogs, that we can observe there on any given day. The little paragraph about Dolly and Diller, the bonded Basset Hounds, was incredibly moving. It’s artful how Soffer can capture observations so succinctly yet give us such a realistic and compelling slice-of-life from different perspectives.

The writing was just… wow. Beautiful, lyrical, emotive. Every word was intentional. The style was artful and varied depending on which perspective we were exploring at the time. Abe’s chapters written in the second person, to Jane, allowed the intimacy and love to shine through. Alice’s chapters enabled us to see Abe from a different perspective. The Park chapters were a beautiful bird’s eye view. The pacing was perfect.

I enjoyed the time I spent with these characters (except Max who I struggled to find any redeeming qualities) and in New York. The sense of people and the sense of place were phenomenal.

I’m not an emotional reader, but, of the 1000+ books I’ve read over my life, this is now the second one that’s made me cry. I’m going to need some time to process this one!

I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted through NetGalley. Thank you so much, Serpent’s Tail! ✨

Beautiful realistic look and relationships and the trials and tribulations that come with them, but why they are some of the most importantly parts of our lives.