Ana Turns

Gornick (The Peacock Feast) spins an immersive story of a Manhattan editor on her 60th birthday. Among those invited to Ana Koehl’s celebratory dinner are her stoner anesthesiologist husband, Henry; her best friend Fiona; her son, Simon, who has begun questioning his gender identity; and Lance, her long-term lover and proof positive that Ana is a “careful cheat.” Also invited are Ana’s semi-estranged brother George and her caustic mother, Jean, who sends her a terse email on the morning of her birthday detailing how much it cost to raise Ana (“Had I invested that money starting at your birth rather than spending it year by year on you, it would have grown with compound interest”). Gornick complicates the story by alternating Ana’s perspective with those of the other characters, including Henry, who meets with Fiona for lunch before Ana’s party. It turns out the two once had an affair, and Henry thinks they should tell Ana (“You need to be a bit less shtetl and a bit more français,” Fiona responds). Crisp and clever writing abounds, and Ana’s response during the climactic dinner scene to her mother’s cruelty is particularly piercing. Gornick strikes all the right notes in this complex and moving character study. (Nov.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review misstated the protagonist’s occupation and mischaracterized the relationship between two other characters.