Monogamy: a novel

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English

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A New York Times Notable Book NPR Best Book of the Year People magazine Top Ten Books of the Year • BookPage Best Book of the Year • Good Housekeeping Best Book of the Year

“A sensual and perceptive novel. . . . With humor and humanity, Miller resists the simple scorned-wife story and instead crafts a revelatory tale of the complexities—and the absurdities—of love, infidelity, and grief.” —O, the Oprah Magazine

A brilliantly insightful novel, engrossing and haunting, about marriage, love, family, happiness and sorrow, from New York Times bestselling author Sue Miller.

Graham and Annie have been married for nearly thirty years. Their seemingly effortless devotion has long been the envy of their circle of friends and acquaintances. By all appearances, they are a golden couple.

Graham is a bookseller, a big, gregarious man with large appetites—curious, eager to please, a lover of life, and the convivial host of frequent, lively parties at his and Annie’s comfortable house in Cambridge. Annie, more reserved and introspective, is a photographer. She is about to have her first gallery show after a six-year lull and is worried that the best years of her career may be behind her. They have two adult children; Lucas, Graham’s son with his first wife, Frieda, works in New York. Annie and Graham’s daughter, Sarah, lives in San Francisco. Though Frieda is an integral part of this far-flung, loving family, Annie feels confident in the knowledge that she is Graham’s last and greatest love.

When Graham suddenly dies—this man whose enormous presence has seemed to dominate their lives together—Annie is lost. What is the point of going on, she wonders, without him? 

Then, while she is still mourning Graham intensely, she discovers a ruinous secret, one that will spiral her into darkness and force her to question whether she ever truly knew the man who loved her.

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Contributors
Miller, Sue Author, Narrator
ISBN
9780062969651
006296965
9780062969712
9780062969675

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These books have the appeal factors melancholy, reflective, and thoughtful, and they have the genre "literary fiction"; the subject "loss"; and characters that are "complex characters" and "introspective characters."
In these melancholy and character-driven novels, women reflect on their complicated relationships with their ex- (Oh William!) and recently departed (Monogamy) husbands, both of whom were unfaithful. -- CJ Connor
In lush and compelling prose, these moving novels portray middle-aged women suddenly confronted by extramarital affairs (her late husband's in Monogamy, her own in The Paper Palace) and other family secrets. -- Michael Shumate
These books have the appeal factors stylistically complex, and they have the themes "coping with death" and "books about books"; the subjects "extramarital affairs," "loss," and "booksellers"; and characters that are "complex characters."
Grieving wives are left to ruminate about their lives and to rely on friends to cope with the sudden death of their charismatic husbands. These lyrical and reflective character-driven stories highlight the complexity of friendships and long-term marriages. -- Andrienne Cruz
A sudden passing leaves survivors with more questions than answers in these reflective novels about coping with death. Both books thoughtfully explore the complex nature of grief; Monogamy centers on a widow while After Annie examines multiple characters' experiences. -- Mary Kinser
These books have the appeal factors melancholy, stylistically complex, and multiple perspectives, and they have the theme "coping with death"; the genre "literary fiction"; the subjects "extramarital affairs," "loss," and "grief"; and characters that are "complex characters."
In these introspective and melancholy character-driven books, the discovery of a husband's infidelity unravels the lives of his loved ones. Both emotional stories are full of intriguing and complex characters who are left reeling from a crushing betrayal. -- Andrienne Cruz
These quiet yet impactful literary novels follow women whose lives are upended by sudden tragedies. With prose that is both lush and incisive, they explore the complexities of close relationships and grief's emotional toll. -- Catherine Coles
These books have the appeal factors reflective, stylistically complex, and sweeping, and they have the theme "coping with death"; the genre "literary fiction"; the subjects "extramarital affairs," "loss," and "grief"; and characters that are "complex characters."
Character-driven and stylistically complex, Monogamy and An American Marriage study the intricacies of relationships. They are moving and reflective stories of marriages and betrayal in the wake of loss, whether it be due to death (Monogamy) or false imprisonment (American Marriage). -- Yaika Sabat
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Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Sue Miller's many fans might also want to give Jodi Picoult's issue-driven fiction a try. She too tackles controversial subjects that put ordinary people in crisis, though her writing style is more conversational and less meditative than Miller's. -- Shauna Griffin
Jacquelyn Mitchard's issue-driven novels showcase families in turmoil dealing with shocking situations, much like Sue Miller's slightly more dense, literary work. Mitchard tends to be more dramatic than Miller, focusing more on the riveting aspects of a plot than on atmosphere or language. -- Rebecca Vnuk
Anita Shreve and Sue Miller are good suggestions for readers who appreciate provocative, issue-oriented stories of women's lives. Both authors offer strong characterizations, storylines in the past and present, and elegant, evocative prose. -- Krista Biggs
Like Diane Chamberlain, Sue Miller writes character-driven novels examining how people respond to life's extraordinary challenges. Both are deeply interested in how events shape their protagonists and their relationships with family and friends. Neither author's oeuvre is a stranger to controversial topics, yet each writes of these issues sensitively and thoughtfully. -- Katie-Rose Repp
If you enjoy being entertained and pushed to think, then J. Courtney Sullivan and Sue Miller are a great bet. Both write complex tales featuring strong women coping with divorce, aging parents, dysfunctional families, and self-acceptance. Reflective, moving, and bittersweet. -- Mike Nilsson
Both Anna Quindlen and Sue Miller are adept at writing about white women struggling to find a balance between their own needs and the demands of husbands, families, communities, or careers. The issues drive the narrative and tackle complex subjects and the protagonist's journey to self-awareness. -- Shauna Griffin
These authors' works have the genre "psychological fiction"; and the subjects "family relationships," "extramarital affairs," and "loss."
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These authors' works have the genres "relationship fiction" and "mainstream fiction"; and the subjects "extramarital affairs," "divorced women," and "parent and adult child."

Published Reviews

Booklist Review

Both coming off failed first marriages, Annie and Graham were the loves of each other's lives. Graham was large and lusty, a hail-fellow-well-met whose Cambridge bookstore was a welcoming destination for the literary set. A professional photographer beginning to establish a reputation in the art world, Annie was diminutive and reserved, but only in comparison; her appetite for intimacy was as great as her husband's. So it was noteworthy when, after 30 years of marriage, Graham became preoccupied and remote. Before they could resolve whatever was coming between them, however, Graham died, leaving Annie with more questions than answers. Gingerly navigating her new role as widow, Annie relies on her unexpectedly close relationship with Graham's first wife, Frieda; their son, Lucas; and, to a lesser extent, Sarah, Graham and Annie's own daughter, for emotional support, which becomes critical when Annie learns that Graham was having an affair in the weeks before his death. Miller takes on and renews familiar themes of trust and betrayal between husbands and wives, parents and children, and does so with her signature crystalline focus and boundless empathy. The grieving process is hard enough to endure without having to question everything one ever knew about the deceased, an emotional minefield Miller traverses with grace and authenticity that are both haunting and vital.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Best-selling Miller's well-promoted latest will on many to-be-read lists.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Miller (The Arsonist) delivers a robust, character-driven examination of the inner workings of a lengthy marriage. Domestic tranquility quickly totters into roiling turmoil as photographer Annie McFarlane struggles with grief after the sudden death of Graham, her bookstore-owning husband of almost 30 years. When Annie met Graham on the opening night of his shop in Harvard Square, each was coming off a disastrous first marriage. Annie never really loved Alan, a handsome preppy filled with contempt for others, including her, and she left him. Graham's first marriage was an open one ("It had been that era"), but his prodigious affairs were too much for Frieda, who left him with their young son. Frieda and Graham remained friends after their divorce, "leading to the lasting complexity of their entwined lives." Annie feels "doubly betrayed" when she learns that Graham had confided in Frieda about a recent affair. The novel takes on various configurations, swelling with recovered memories of childhood experiences and crackling with revelations of seductive temptations at an artist's colony. Annie swirls through bitterness and missed opportunities on her way to an acceptance of a "new sorrow," while Graham's Rabelaisian, larger-than-life personality is felt even in his absence. The novel is grounded by vibrant prose, vividly portrayed secondary characters, and the resiliency of everlasting love. Miller's fans will devour this spectacular, powerful return. Agent: Suzanne Gluck, WME. (Sept.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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Library Journal Review

In the late 1970s, Graham's first marriage had long ago imploded when his then-wife Frieda decided the open-marriage concept was not for her. Still, they have remained friends, for their own sake, as much as for their child, Lucas. Meanwhile, after Annie's own seven-year marriage ended, she embarked on a long, eventually unsatisfying run of endless casual encounters while pursuing a career in photography. When Annie and Graham meet at the opening of Graham's Cambridge bookstore, the connection is immediate and intense. Tired of their nonmonogamous ways, they marry within the year. Fast-forward to 2008. Their marriage, which was blessed with daughter Sarah, who now lives in California, has been a happy one, filled with joyful intimacy. Then in a careless moment of weakness, Graham embarks on a brief affair that he immediately regrets. Extricating himself isn't going well, as the woman has fallen in love and imagines a future together. Suddenly, before he can make things right, Graham dies. Annie, paralyzed by grief and disbelief at this unexpected loss, is nearly crushed when she accidentally learns of the affair while still in mourning. VERDICT Best-selling novelist Miller (While I Was Gone) unflinchingly examines the scorching pain of love, betrayal, raw grief, and the slow slog to forgiveness and healing. An eyes-wide-open look at the cost of commitment in all its messy permutations. [See Prepub Alert, 3/11/20.]--Beth Andersen, formerly with Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI

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Kirkus Book Review

What do we do with bad news of the dead? A near-perfect second marriage is disrupted--first by death, then by posthumous revelations. Boston bookstore owner Graham McFarlane is such a lovable and forgivable man that the ex-wife he cheated on, Frieda, and her replacement, a photographer named Annie, whom he is also cheating on, are close friends. Woman No. 3 is not going to make it into the circle, though, as Graham dies of a heart attack the day after he stops by her house to break up with her in a fit of uxoriousness and remorse. This death happens fairly early in the book, but since the reader knows about the affair and Annie does not, the first two-thirds of Miller's 13th novel are infused with a merry narrative tension. That energy dissipates somewhat when Annie eventually finds out about Graham's infidelity. At this point the novel becomes more meditative, sticking close to Annie as she deals with the disorienting feeling that she never really knew the man she deeply loved--and who so clearly loved her--for 30 years. As their daughter, Sarah, describes her "Rabelaisian" father, "He was big, in every way. A lover of life. And kind.…He made people happy, without even trying." Of course the last thing Annie wants is for Graham's children, or anyone else, to know what she now knows. Miller's skill at depicting the intricacies of marriage, parenting, and domestic life, the atmosphere of the independent bookstore, and the pleasures of flowers, wine, and food (a craving for split pea soup with ham and dill, served with "a loaf of dark rye [from] Formaggio," lingers still) makes this book charming and inviting in a way that is somewhat at odds with its sorrowful impetus. A thoughtful and realistic portrait of those golden people who seem to have such enviable lives. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Both coming off failed first marriages, Annie and Graham were the loves of each other's lives. Graham was large and lusty, a hail-fellow-well-met whose Cambridge bookstore was a welcoming destination for the literary set. A professional photographer beginning to establish a reputation in the art world, Annie was diminutive and reserved, but only in comparison; her appetite for intimacy was as great as her husband's. So it was noteworthy when, after 30 years of marriage, Graham became preoccupied and remote. Before they could resolve whatever was coming between them, however, Graham died, leaving Annie with more questions than answers. Gingerly navigating her new role as widow, Annie relies on her unexpectedly close relationship with Graham's first wife, Frieda; their son, Lucas; and, to a lesser extent, Sarah, Graham and Annie's own daughter, for emotional support, which becomes critical when Annie learns that Graham was having an affair in the weeks before his death. Miller takes on and renews familiar themes of trust and betrayal between husbands and wives, parents and children, and does so with her signature crystalline focus and boundless empathy. The grieving process is hard enough to endure without having to question everything one ever knew about the deceased, an emotional minefield Miller traverses with grace and authenticity that are both haunting and vital.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Best-selling Miller's well-promoted latest will on many to-be-read lists. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.
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Library Journal Reviews

Won in a pitched-battle auction, this latest from the New York Times best-selling Miller features introspective photographer Annie, long married to gregarious bookseller Graham and nervously on the verge of her first gallery show in six years. She's shocked when he dies suddenly and even more shocked to discover he was briefly unfaithful to her before his death. With an eight-city tour and a 200,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2020 Library Journal.

Copyright 2020 Library Journal.
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Library Journal Reviews

In the late 1970s, Graham's first marriage had long ago imploded when his then-wife Frieda decided the open-marriage concept was not for her. Still, they have remained friends, for their own sake, as much as for their child, Lucas. Meanwhile, after Annie's own seven-year marriage ended, she embarked on a long, eventually unsatisfying run of endless casual encounters while pursuing a career in photography. When Annie and Graham meet at the opening of Graham's Cambridge bookstore, the connection is immediate and intense. Tired of their nonmonogamous ways, they marry within the year. Fast-forward to 2008. Their marriage, which was blessed with daughter Sarah, who now lives in California, has been a happy one, filled with joyful intimacy. Then in a careless moment of weakness, Graham embarks on a brief affair that he immediately regrets. Extricating himself isn't going well, as the woman has fallen in love and imagines a future together. Suddenly, before he can make things right, Graham dies. Annie, paralyzed by grief and disbelief at this unexpected loss, is nearly crushed when she accidentally learns of the affair while still in mourning. VERDICT Best-selling novelist Miller (While I Was Gone) unflinchingly examines the scorching pain of love, betrayal, raw grief, and the slow slog to forgiveness and healing. An eyes-wide-open look at the cost of commitment in all its messy permutations. [See Prepub Alert, 3/11/20.]—Beth Andersen, formerly with Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI

Copyright 2020 Library Journal.

Copyright 2020 Library Journal.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

Miller (The Arsonist) delivers a robust, character-driven examination of the inner workings of a lengthy marriage. Domestic tranquility quickly totters into roiling turmoil as photographer Annie McFarlane struggles with grief after the sudden death of Graham, her bookstore-owning husband of almost 30 years. When Annie met Graham on the opening night of his shop in Harvard Square, each was coming off a disastrous first marriage. Annie never really loved Alan, a handsome preppy filled with contempt for others, including her, and she left him. Graham's first marriage was an open one ("It had been that era"), but his prodigious affairs were too much for Frieda, who left him with their young son. Frieda and Graham remained friends after their divorce, "leading to the lasting complexity of their entwined lives." Annie feels "doubly betrayed" when she learns that Graham had confided in Frieda about a recent affair. The novel takes on various configurations, swelling with recovered memories of childhood experiences and crackling with revelations of seductive temptations at an artist's colony. Annie swirls through bitterness and missed opportunities on her way to an acceptance of a "new sorrow," while Graham's Rabelaisian, larger-than-life personality is felt even in his absence. The novel is grounded by vibrant prose, vividly portrayed secondary characters, and the resiliency of everlasting love. Miller's fans will devour this spectacular, powerful return. Agent: Suzanne Gluck, WME. (Sept.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly.

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly.
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