Writers & Lovers by Lily King | Review

Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Publisher: Grove Press
Release Date: March 3, 2020
Length: 320 pages
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

After six years, a young writer struggles with completing her first novel in the midst of grief, longing, and confusion about what it really means to be an adult.

From the Publisher

“Blindsided by her mother’s sudden death, and wrecked by a recent love affair, Casey Peabody has arrived in Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan. Her mail consists of wedding invitations and final notices from debt collectors. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables in Harvard Square and rents a tiny, moldy room at the side of a garage where she works on the novel she’s been writing for six years. At thirty-one, Casey is still clutching onto something nearly all her old friends have let go of: the determination to live a creative life…”

The Draw

• I tend to enjoy books about writers and the writing process.
• I missed King’s last novel, Euphoria, so wanted to try this one.
• Lots of buzz around this book including Amazon’s Best Books of March 2020 and a March Book of the Month selection.

{My Thoughts}

Let’s just get right to it. I loved Writers & Lovers! It’s my favorite book so far this year and I can say with confidence that Lily King’s novel will be making an appearance on my Best Books of 2020 list. Rather than sum up what this book is about, I’m going to share the many reasons why I liked it so very much.

• King’s Storytelling – I’ve seen some call it uneven, but I didn’t see that. From start to finish I was captivated by Casey’s story and fully immersed in Lily King’s gorgeous writing.
• Grief – In the story, Casey (already estranged from her father) has recently lost her mother and King’s exploration of her grief resonated throughout the story. She made me ache for Casey’s loss.

“I might still be capable of feeling happy. She will want to know that. But I can’t tell her. That’s the wall I always slam into on a good morning like this. My mother will be worrying about me, and I can’t tell her I’m okay.”

“During the day I miss the novel. I’ve lost access to a world where my mother is a little girl reading in a window or twirling in fast circles on the street, her braids raised high off her back. Outside of that novel she is dead. There seems no end to the procession of things that make my mother feel more dead.”

“I’m in the mood to call my mother, that happy shift in the wind mood. I calculate the time in Phoenix. Nearly noon. Perfect. The bolt retracts, and I remember she died.“

• The Writing Process – I enjoyed getting to know a character that had been completely consumed by the creative process for years. To her own financial and personal detriment, Casey could not let go. I also appreciated how self-aware Casey was, constantly questioning herself and where her life was going, yet through it all, she kept at it.
• Relationships – In the past, Casey has been involved with men who were never quite right for her. As Writer’s & Lovers unfolds she meets two very different men, both writers like herself, each adding a layer of confusion to her life.

“It’s a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone.”

• Cast of Characters – I thoroughly enjoyed the entire group of characters that moved in and out of Casey’s life and I especially enjoyed those at the restaurant where she worked.
• The Ending – Casey’s crisis point and its resolution worked for me. I even got a little teary at the end.

From start to finish, I delighted living in Casey’s world, watching the evolution of a young writer on the brink of change. Obviously, I highly recommend Writers & Lovers. Grade: A

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler – Much of Writers & Lovers was set in the restaurant world reminding me of Sweetbitter, the story of a young woman who experiences a whole new world as a waitress in a high end NYC restaurant. (my review)
• All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg – The story of a woman who for many years has struggled to make it as artist and is on the brink of giving up as she’s finally forced to face adulthood. (my review)

Note: I received a copy of this book from Grove Press (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.