that's pretty neat

By Rebecca Makkai 418 pages Published in 2018 Historical fiction Themes: LGBT, AIDS crisis, family (biological and chosen), death, love 4.5/5 Stars (Very neat)

“You get afraid of one thing, and then suddenly you're afraid of everything.”

(In reference to Nora's artist friends lost in the war) “Every time I've gone to a gallery, the rest of my life, I've thought about the works that weren't there. Shadow-paintings, you know, that no one can see but you. But there are all those happy young people around you and you realize no, they're not bereft. They don't see the empty spaces.”

“[Richard] said, 'It's always a matter, isn't it, of waiting for the world to come unraveled? When things hold together, it's always only temporary.'”

Misc. Thoughts (Spolier warning!)

• Excellent book that tears at the heart. Having missed the AIDS crisis, I hadn't understood the full scope of the epidemic until probably 10 years ago and this book puts it even more into perspective. The book illustrates how, like wars, the crisis wiped out a generation.
• Yale was a great main character and I was fully bought into all parts of his story. While he was flawed and naive at times, he was relatable by being a good friend, career-focused and becoming attached to Nora and her art. I was convinced he'd be safe from AIDS and yelled at the book when it was revealed that he was likely exposed (after being so safe and cautious).
• I really enjoyed the storyline with Nora and Yale getting to know her story and more about the art she's giving to his gallery. At first I didn't see the need/connection of this to the larger story, but once she talked about losing friends during the war (WWI?), and the lost art that comes with that, that I understood the similarities with her and Yale's experiences.
• I'm not convinced the 2015 storyline was needed. Fiona (Yale's friend Nico's sister and Nora's grandniece) goes to Paris looking for her estranged daughter who ran away with a cult in college. She stays with her and Yale's mutual friend Richard, and feels reconnected to Nico, Yale and others through Richard's photos and videos from the 80's. I guess it showed the impact those loses left on Fiona and Richard, but I can't figure out how the missing daughter (and granddaughter) tie into the larger story. Maybe it's showing how Fiona gave her all into helping Yale and others while they were dying but was too drained and traumatized to be as motherly with her own daughter (Yale died on the day her daughter was born).