Gate at the Stairs

I had heard so much about Lorrie Moore when her first novel in 15 years came out last year. She has a devoted following and the reviews of Gate at the Stairs were good, so I requested it from the library.

I read it over the long weekend and while it was good, I think I just didn't get it. The main character, Tassie, is a college student who gets a job as a nanny/sitter for an eccentric couple thinking of adopting a child. Tassie goes with Sarah Thornbird-Brink, the potential adoptive mom, to meet a few of the birth mothers. And so begins the story of Tassie and the Brinks. All the characters feel self-involved and never concerned with more than what other people think.

The whole story came across as very sterile and more cerebral than emotional. There's so much about this book that could be emotional - a mixed race adoptive child, a cheating husband, a brother going off to join the Army - that I finished feeling like something was missing.

Much of the novel was beautifully written and there were witty, intellectual sections. I will try to read some of Lorrie Moore's short stories to see if I am missing something.