A Gate at the Stairs

I have looked forward to reading Lorrie Moore's new novel A Gate At The Stairs. I was not disappointed with it, wonderful and absorbing in a subtle way. I was drawn to the protagonist, Tassie Keltjin, who speaks with both an innocence and weariness that the thresh hold of adult hood brings. Her relationship with those around her is quietly distanced and yet somehow poignant in it's need for validation. A constant questioning on her behalf, and yet she clearly has the fortitude to carry on. My attention wandered at points, not because of any lack of writing but because of contemplation provoked by history yet to be completed, a chord strummed throughout the novel. There are many places in this book that are all too recognizable, pulling back the layers of my own existence. For a wonderful review please read Jonathan Lethem's in the NY Times. M