I loved this novel by a trans author with a nonbinary protagonist. The synopsis on the book jacket inside the front cover sums it up perfectly. "A queer book conservator finds a mysterious old love letter, setting off a search for the author who wrote it and for a meaningful life beyond the binary in early-2000s New York City." The background setting just shortly after 9/11 works so well. I'm totally into the mystery of the hidden love letter from Gertrude to Marta and the research involved for Dawn to find them. The author explores Dawn's close friendships at home and at work. We follow Dawn's creative process and self doubt as she creates a "Project" for a group exhibition about imagined cities at an emerging art gallery. We learn about the Lavender Scare in NYC targeting queer people, which happened concurrently with the Red Scare. Dawn tentatively looks for inspiration from her Jewish roots at an especially low point, and ultimately finds courage through this and what she learns from Gertrude. Books featuring queer characters that were passed secretly back in the 1950s always ended tragically. Readers from oppressed groups crave stories of hope and joy. This book sees both the hate directed at queer people back in history and in recent years, but ends with feelings of hope that Dawn's life and self expression are supported by those who matter most to them.
No comments:
Post a Comment