The Editor by Steven Rowley

8/27/2019

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The Editor by Steven Rowley / Book Review

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This book was highly anticipated for me as Steven Rowley is my current favorite fiction author. He wrote Lily and the Octopus which I fell in love with and when he announced this book I could not wait to get my hands on it!

The Editor is an ode to mothers and a story about a writer – two things which resonate with me deeply as I am a mother, and a writer.

The fact that a major character in the book is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is icing on the cake! She is the ultimate in class, style and a lover of books herself. I think she is every American Woman’s idol in some way, she certainly is one of mine.

The book is set mostly in New York City where James Smale and his long term partner Daniel reside. During the telling of this tale we take side trips to Martha’s Vineyard (I felt like I was there as Steven Rowley expertly describes the sights, sounds and smells of the ocean air and the beachy town) and James’ mother’s house in Ithaca.

The story begins with James landing a publishing deal for his book “The Quarantine” and his editor happens to be Jackie O.

Throughout the story we learn about James’ family, his complicated relationship with his parents, his relationships with his siblings, his faithful long term committed relationship with Daniel. As we learn about all of these relationships, they are peppered with emotion, layers of feelings, complicated realizations and all the things “life” throws many of us.

Steven Rowley weaves this beautiful story about relationships seamlessly into the story of James Smale as a writer, finally publishing his very first book.

As a writer, a mom, a sister, a friend, a wife...this book is a delight.

As a mother it almost felt honoring, as a writer it gives me hope and resolve to keep writing. All the other relationships in life – you just need to read this book! I highly recommend it.