by Brian Morton
First published 2007
Leonard Schiller has reached his seventies with a modest literary reputation and a small collection of published novels. His quiet, structured existence shifts when Heather Wolfe appears at his door. The twentysomething graduate student grew up reading Schiller's books, and they transformed her understanding of literature. Now she wants to write her master's thesis on his work and believes she can resurrect his career, pulling him back into literary prominence. Schiller agrees to the interviews, and their meetings develop into something neither expected. Their connection becomes part mentorship, part intellectual sparring match, and part romantic tension. Heather pushes Schiller to reconsider his place in the literary world while he grapples with questions about artistic legacy and personal meaning. Their relationship forces both to examine what they want from art, recognition, and human connection. The friendship that emerges challenges everything Schiller thought he knew about his remaining years.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction, biographical-fiction, 21st-century, family-drama, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, mentor, second-chance
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
336 pages · Kindle Edition · Mariner Books