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A review by laurapk
The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai
5.0
Rebecca Makkai is my new favorite author! Her writing is smooth as velvet, her humor sharp, her stories simple, yet dealing with complicated issues, her delivery efficient and her endings always clear.
The Borrower tells the story of Lucy Hull, a lonely librarian and daughter of a Russian immigrant and Ian Drake, a queer 10 year old raised by strict, religious parents. Ian is the most avid reader of the Hannibal Public Library, but his mother sees his reading, and his not yet bloomed sexual orientation, as something that needs to be tightly controlled and guided towards the light of strict evangelism. Lucy becomes his accomplice, checking out books for him. As the walls tighten around Ian at home, he decides to run away. It is Lucy who finds him hiding in the library, Lucy who tries to drive him home, Lucy who allows Ian to lead the way until they get lost and accidentally cross state lines. As hours and days roll by, Lucy realizes she's in too deep, she can't return Ian home without getting in trouble. So she decides to allow them to continue on their journey North East across the USA. During the trip she tries to help Ian find the tools he'll need to bring balance to his life and stay true to himself when his family will try to break him. All of this Lucy does with extreme care, afraid to speak to Ian directly about his sexuality, terrified she'll spook him and lose him forever (and terrified she'll rot in prison). She realizes Ian has to be the one to save himself. Along the way Lucy also discovers the truths behind her family's immigration stories and her entire past takes on a new shape.
Ultimately, The Borrower is a novel about the power of stories, printed or oral. Stories that speak to us and stories that save us. Stories that have more power to guide us out of a dark place than the people around us. Because under the guise of fiction, the truth lingers.
I love how Makkai tied every little element of the story together at the end. She had done this in The Great Believers as well, and I can't wait until she starts raking in the big prizes. I see the Noble Prize in her future.
The scene that got me laughing and sobbing at the same time, was in chapter 39: Tim Ex Machina. For those that make it till the end, let me know if you lost it when Tim tells Ian about their offices in "Iowa, Ohio, and Oahu, Hawaii." "You should have seen the kid's face." Tim says.
You should have seen my face.
The Borrower tells the story of Lucy Hull, a lonely librarian and daughter of a Russian immigrant and Ian Drake, a queer 10 year old raised by strict, religious parents. Ian is the most avid reader of the Hannibal Public Library, but his mother sees his reading, and his not yet bloomed sexual orientation, as something that needs to be tightly controlled and guided towards the light of strict evangelism. Lucy becomes his accomplice, checking out books for him. As the walls tighten around Ian at home, he decides to run away. It is Lucy who finds him hiding in the library, Lucy who tries to drive him home, Lucy who allows Ian to lead the way until they get lost and accidentally cross state lines. As hours and days roll by, Lucy realizes she's in too deep, she can't return Ian home without getting in trouble. So she decides to allow them to continue on their journey North East across the USA. During the trip she tries to help Ian find the tools he'll need to bring balance to his life and stay true to himself when his family will try to break him. All of this Lucy does with extreme care, afraid to speak to Ian directly about his sexuality, terrified she'll spook him and lose him forever (and terrified she'll rot in prison). She realizes Ian has to be the one to save himself. Along the way Lucy also discovers the truths behind her family's immigration stories and her entire past takes on a new shape.
Ultimately, The Borrower is a novel about the power of stories, printed or oral. Stories that speak to us and stories that save us. Stories that have more power to guide us out of a dark place than the people around us. Because under the guise of fiction, the truth lingers.
I love how Makkai tied every little element of the story together at the end. She had done this in The Great Believers as well, and I can't wait until she starts raking in the big prizes. I see the Noble Prize in her future.
The scene that got me laughing and sobbing at the same time, was in chapter 39: Tim Ex Machina. For those that make it till the end, let me know if you lost it when Tim tells Ian about their offices in "Iowa, Ohio, and Oahu, Hawaii." "You should have seen the kid's face." Tim says.
You should have seen my face.