The Art of Becoming a Citizen

I am a fan of Gail Godwin’s writing, so I looked forward to her latest book. Throughout her career, she has been consistently insightful and entertaining, but she has now reached an advanced age. This reader gets the impression that her publisher needed a manuscript from her. Therefore, bits and pieces of random thoughts about aging, politics, and reminiscences were patched together and offered in this book. Many authors fall into this trap. There is little, if any, flow, rhyme, or reason for this book. It shows the desperation in getting last-ditch efforts from proven authors.

The blurb also touts Vonnegut and Irving, although they are only mentioned in passing. The book stretches to reach 200 pages. Since it is partly a memoir, the beginning is very confusing as she conflates a friend’s story with her own. She talks about her marriage, but in such a circumspect fashion that it becomes puzzling. She later resurrects her first husband in a later meeting, but it is difficult to piece together that part of her life. She has written so many books that perhaps an introduction to her life can be found in other works.