Familiar: A Novel
Returning from her annual pilgrimage to her son Silas’ grave, Elisa Brown is suddenly struck by a sense that things have changed. The car she is driving isn’t hers, her body has transformed, and in the seat next to her sits a conference binder addressed to a Lisa Brown. The old Elisa’s son died at age 15; she was having an extramarital affair; and she was very close to her living son, Sam. This new Lisa is estranged from both of her children and lives in quiet tension with her husband in a home devoid of life. As the old Elisa tries to parse out what has happened to her, she discovers that her new reality is as sad and complicated as her previous life, and she begins to feel trapped between both worlds. Readers who enjoyed Lennon’s previous novel Castle (2009) will see some common themes here, as Elisa questions her own understanding of reality and memory and tries to unravel the emotional mystery that surrounds both of her lives. --Heather Paulson