Lee Cole has written a dynamic novel that perfectly portrays the complications of family, career and life in general in the flyover section of contemporary USA. On one side, Joel, the educated, successful brother who has moved to New York with his wife and cat, has written a well-recieved memoir of essays about his tragic upbringing in Kentucky, complete with poverty, alcohol and drug use. Emmett, the younger “unseen” brother, drifts from job to job, seemingly unconcerned about his “career” until both brothers arrive at the family home in Paducah, where expectations and the desire for fulfillment clash.
The best part of this novel is the characterizations. Joel is not very insightful, though he believes himself to be a great thinker. And Emmett is much more insightful and intelligent than the reader expects him to be. Between them, Alice, Joel’s wife, and Kathy, their mother serve as a brilliant contrast of the roles of women in down home society.
The descriptions of the countryside feel authentic, highlighting the “brushstrokes of irrelevance in the landscape itself, especially as contrasted to Manhattan, where despite the dream of living there, one still feels isolated, banished and yearning.
I had not read Cole before but look forward to reading more in the future. Fulfillment was released on July 17, 2025, by Knopf Pantheon Vintage, and Anchor Knopf. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
No comments:
Post a Comment