Week 1: A Strong Start to the Reading Year

Starting the year with a diverse reading list: a new piece of literary fiction from Adam Haslett and a deep dive into Sondheim's genius.

Book Review: Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett ★★★★

There is always a dance between the truth and self-justification, between what happened and what we tell ourselves. This dance is central to Mothers and Sons, Adam Haslett’s new novel. This one is for you if you have grappled with personal history and family relationships. And it marks an impressive start to my 2025 reading.

Mothers and Sons focuses on Peter, a gay asylum lawyer, and his estranged mother, Ann, a co-founder of a women's retreat. Through their interweaving narratives, Haslett examines how we construct stories about ourselves and our past—sometimes to heal, sometimes to hide, and sometimes to justify. The novel's genius lies in how it reveals how these personal narratives can simultaneously illuminate and obscure the truth, much like holding a flashlight in a dark room: what we choose to illuminate often leaves other areas in shadow.

The prose is precise and evocative, never wasting a word. Late in the novel, it dawned on me that Peter’s professional work—helping asylum seekers craft their narratives to justify their stay in America—is similar to his struggle to write his own story. Meanwhile, Ann's role as a source of healing for other women while struggling to connect with her son creates a poignant tension that drives the narrative forward. I found myself more drawn to the chapters featuring Peter than Ann, but perhaps that is my bias shining through.

If you are not familiar with Adam Haslett, he is one of the stronger writers out there today. I’d also recommend his last work, Imagine Me Gone. It contains similar themes about the impact of the past and how that shapes the present, family dynamics, and individual struggles. Imagine Me Gone presents a broader family canvas and focuses on a brother-brother relationship; Mothers and Sons—well, the title says it all.

This book will resonate with readers who appreciate nuanced family dramas, those interested in the psychology of relationships, and anyone who has ever struggled to bridge the gap between their perspective and that of a family member. It's also a strong addition to the canon of queer literature, though its universal themes of connection, understanding, and self-discovery transcend any categorization. This book reminds me of my favorites from last year: Hollinghurt’s Our Evenings Rapp’s Wolf at the Table and Attenberg’s A Reason to See You Again. I suppose I have a thing for family dramas since they help me understand my own experiences or at least provide catharsis to process what I've been through.

Bottom Line: This novel not only entertains but also serves as a lesson about our own tendencies to shape and reshape our personal histories. It is an excellent choice to begin the reading year with.

What else I read this week

I’ve had this book around since it came out and when I saw it staring at me in the stack I sang, “It's our time, breathe it in…Worlds to change and worlds to win.” (Now if you don’t get that reference, maybe this one isn’t for you).

This is a collection of 11 essays analyzing Stephen Sondheim's musicals (each focusing on one musical). While structured as self-help lessons from each show, the book offers insightful analysis of Sondheim's work. Schoch, a drama professor and former director, thoroughly examines Sondheim's compositions, from technical aspects like writing "Send In the Clowns" for Glynis Johns's limited vocal range to thematic elements like authenticity and artifice.

The writing style felt rather academic, with frequent interruptions to quote song lyrics—just as you'd be getting to a point, there'd be another "here's the Sondheim lyric that proves it." While I enjoyed the book, it's not for casual readers. Unless you're a devoted Sondheim enthusiast or serious theater buff, you won't find much entertainment here, nor will it deliver on its promise to show you "How you have to finish the hat."

What I’m Looking forward to reading

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar was on 21 of the top lists for 2024. I’m about a third of the way through and am kicking myself for not reading this sooner. I’m reading it for a book club I am in and am excited to talk about it.

Playworld by Adam Ross arrives today. Described as “a big and big-hearted novel--one enthralling, transformative year in the life of a child actor coming of age in a bygone Manhattan” - New York City? The 80s? Childhood drama? Sign me up.