My Education / Susan Choi 296 pp.

Regina Gottlieb begins grad school with a crush on her professor of medieval English but quickly transfers her affection and lust to the professor's pregnant wife Martha. She and Martha begin a torrid affair after the baby is born, the details of which are rendered extremely explicitly. Regina falls entirely under the control of the older, more sophisticated woman. Choi depicts Regina's combination of intelligence and naivete very well, and the writing is smooth, engrossing, and full of keen insights. Still, while Regina may be in the dark about Martha's worthiness as a lover, most adult readers will have no trouble tracking her narcissistic machinations, and eventually the game becomes tiresome. Worse, Choi found the need to append an epilogue which is far too long and ties things into a happy ending with a neat little bow. Intriguing but ultimately unsatisfying, and considering the sweet resolution, a bit silly.