The Body Politic
Fiction
Atria Books
March 3, 2020
Hardcover
320
Free from publisher
New York City is still regaining its balance in the years following 9/11, when four twenty-somethings—Tess, Tazio, David, and Angelica—meet in a bar, each yearning for something: connection, recognition, a place in the world, a cause to believe in. Nearly fifteen years later, as their city recalibrates in the wake of the 2016 election, their bond has endured—but almost everything else has changed.
As freshmen at Cooper Union, Tess and Tazio were the ambitious, talented future of the art world—but by thirty-six, Tess is married to David, the mother of two young boys, and working as an understudy on Broadway. Kind and steady, David is everything Tess lacked in her own childhood—but a recent freak accident has left him with befuddling symptoms, and she’s still adjusting to her new role as caretaker.
Meanwhile, Tazio—who once had a knack for earning the kind of attention that Cooper Union students long for—has left the art world for a career in creative branding and politics. But in December 2016, fresh off the astonishing loss of his candidate, Tazio is adrift, and not even his gorgeous and accomplished fiancée, Angelica, seems able to get through to him. With tensions rising on the national stage, the four friends are forced to face the reality of their shared histories, especially a long-ago betrayal that has shaped every aspect of their friendship.
Elegant and perceptive, The Body Politic explores the meaning of commitment, the nature of forgiveness, the way that buried secrets will always find their way to the surface, and how all of it can shift—and eventually erupt—over the course of a life.
My review:
I'll admit to being nervous going into this book. I'm not usually a fan of books about "twenty somethings", I hated The Interestings which it is compared to in the blurb. Luckily, other than flashbacks to their time in college, most of the book focuses on the friends once they've hit their mid thirties. This was a well written book in that it had my emotions going all over the place! At some points I was so disgusted with the characters actions I wanted to reach through the book and slap them, while in the next few pages I was feeling sorry for what they were dealing with. This pacing of my emotions kept me engaged all the way to its conclusion. I'm not going to say that I particularly liked any of the characters other than Angelica (who is not one of the initial trio), but they each had their moments. I thought the nod to politics was very interesting, especially since John Edwards was from my state of NC (so his campaign news was everywhere!). There were even a few references to the current administration thrown in that had me laughing out loud. I liked the resolution at the end for the most part, although the last chapter had me scratching my head wondering what I was supposed to get that I obviously didn't.
An engaging story that will have you switching loyalties right and left. I can definitely see the comparison to The Interestings, although I enjoyed this one much more.
