An effective, heartfelt novelization of a famous Greek myth.
The myth of Eros and Psyche comes to life in McNamara’s debut.
The princess Psyche was literally born to greatness. Before her birth, her father, King Alkaios of Mycenae, heard from the Oracle of Delphi that his child would grow up to “conquer a monster feared by the gods themselves.” When Psyche arrives, surprising everyone by being born a girl, Alkaios decides to train her to be a strong hero just as he would have if she’d been born a boy. As Psyche grows up and is taught by the legendary female hero Atalanta, she grows eager for the chance to fulfill that prophecy. One day, she’s summoned to the top of a mountain to finally meet the monster that will make her a hero. Ready for battle, she waits on the mountain only to be swept away by a gust of wind, landing at the magical home of a mysterious god who claims to be her husband. Psyche is frightened and confused, not least of all because her divine husband cannot show her his face, lest she be burned alive from a terrible curse. Psyche is correct that this curse of burning isn’t actually real, but little does she know that her husband told her this lie to protect her from the true curse: that the moment the two lovers set eyes on each other, they will be torn apart forever. McNamara’s creative take on Eros and Psyche is a thoughtful reflection on the meaning of love in all its forms. Her narrative foundation is set on real versions of the myth, and any changes she makes or gaps she fills in (for example, including characters like Atalanta as Psyche’s mentor) place her tale within the wider context of women’s lives and place in society during the Trojan War. Trained to be a fighter and destined to be a lover, Psyche also learns to consider whether violence is truly heroic or if there are other ways to be brave.
An effective, heartfelt novelization of a famous Greek myth.Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780063295070
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
The best-selling author of tearjerkers like Angel Falls (2000) serves up yet another mountain of mush, topped off with...
Talk-show queen takes tumble as millions jeer.
Nora Bridges is a wildly popular radio spokesperson for family-first virtues, but her loyal listeners don't know that she walked out on her husband and teenaged daughters years ago and didn't look back. Now that a former lover has sold racy pix of naked Nora and horny himself to a national tabloid, her estranged daughter Ruby, an unsuccessful stand-up comic in Los Angeles, has been approached to pen a tell-all. Greedy for the fat fee she's been promised, Ruby agrees and heads for the San Juan Islands, eager to get reacquainted with the mom she plans to betray. Once in the family homestead, nasty Ruby alternately sulks and glares at her mother, who is temporarily wheelchair-bound as a result of a post-scandal car crash. Uncaring, Ruby begins writing her side of the story when she's not strolling on the beach with former sweetheart Dean Sloan, the son of wealthy socialites who basically ignored him and his gay brother Eric. Eric, now dying of cancer and also in a wheelchair, has returned to the island. This dismal threesome catch up on old times, recalling their childhood idylls on the island. After Ruby's perfect big sister Caroline shows up, there's another round of heartfelt talk. Nora gradually reveals the truth about her unloving husband and her late father's alcoholism, which led her to seek the approval of others at the cost of her own peace of mind. And so on. Ruby is aghast to discover that she doesn't know everything after all, but Dean offers her subdued comfort. Happy endings await almost everyone—except for readers of this nobly preachy snifflefest.
The best-selling author of tearjerkers like Angel Falls (2000) serves up yet another mountain of mush, topped off with syrupy platitudes about life and love.Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-609-60737-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
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