Until I Find You

On my recent travels back from Oakland, CA and NGLTF's annual Creating Change conference I finished reading John Irving's latest book,Until I Find You.


I can't say enough how *much* I enjoy Irving's books. Until I Find You may even be my favorite of them all. There's something about Irving's main characters that always sucks me in...their quirks, awkwardness, and headstrong dedication and determination are ever endearing to me. I flatter myself by seeing some of myself in them.

To be sure, this novel isn't for the weak of heart or those tending towards prudishness. I started my love of Irving with his World According to Garp, and fell deeper after The 158-Pound Marriage, and find this latest work to follow nicely in this trajectory. If you've only known Irving through A Prayer For Owen Meany or Cider House Rules, then this might not be your cup of tea. And certainly, if this is your first reading ever of Irving, it will definitely be a challenging one.

I mean, if you want to make it through this book, you'll need to keep an open mind when faced with issues of children's sexual agency (or the lack thereof), single-motherhood, non-traditional friendships and love relationships (including, but not limited to intergenerational relationships), the fallibility of memory, prostitution, pornography, tattoo culture, transvestitism, and lesbianism. Not everyone can be so open-minded (unfortunately).

But, for those up to the challenge, I think Until I Find You pushes us to consider in meaningful ways the borders and boundaries we construct around love. In typical Irving fashion, in the end, this novel is one about human connection, and the absolute preciousness of it.

When I'm feeling more up to it, I'll write about Creating Change.