There’s a quote from the Washington Post on the back of my proof comparing Joan Silber to Alice Munro which both piqued my interest and made me a little wary when approaching Improvement. Munro’s quietly insightful writing, uncluttered with fussy ornament, is right up my literary street but such comparisons so often lead to disappointment. Not this time. Silber’s novel traces the repercussions of a fatal accident through a set of characters – some directly affected by it, others barely linked to the event at all – exploring themes of love and redemption.
Reyna is hoping that her aunt, Kiki, will look after four-year-old Oliver while she visits Boyd in prison. Boyd has just three months to serve for a crime so petty that if he were white he might not have been locked up at all. Kiki has concerns about Boyd and is happy to voice them. Reyna’s judgement is not all it could be when it comes to men but Kiki, herself, has been keeping schtum for decades about her reasons for leaving her husband and returning home from her beloved Turkey about which she so often waxes lyrical. When Boyd gets out of prison, money is tight. His friends cook up a scheme smuggling cigarettes from Virginia to New York. All they need is a name to put on the vehicle ownership form which Claude’s sister is happy to provide. All goes swimmingly: money flows freely; Boyd, who Oliver adores, spends most of his leisure hours with Reyna and Claude seems to have met the love of his life in Virginia. One day, when they need a driver Reyna is pressed into service but her concerns for Oliver result in her stepping down at the last minute. Claude takes the wheel with tragic results.
Improvement is a carefully constructed novel that reads almost like a series of tightly linked short stories beginning and ending with Reyna. Silber explores the ripple effects of Claude’s accident through a range of characters from his Virginia girlfriend, left with no news of this man she’d grown to love, to the three Germans whose visit to Kiki’s Turkish home resulted in her departure decades before the carpet she brought back to the States contributes to Reyna’s redemption. Silber’s characters are sharply observed, her writing subtly understated leaving her readers to draw their own conclusions. Her exploration of love in its many forms and the stories we tell ourselves is insightful and pleasing. In short, that comparison seems spot on to me. I found myself wondering why I’d not snapped up everything Silber’s written some time ago but as far as I can see Improvement is her only book published here in the UK. All I can say to her publishers is ‘more please’.
I recently received a copy of this from Readers First having liked the look of it from reading the first chapter. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Very much so, Cathy, and I’ve been assured there’s another one in the offing although not for some time. I hope you enjoy the rest of it.
Sounds like a good read. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Karen, and it certainly is!
Well this just sounds wonderful Susan!
It’s a delight, Cathy. Now hoping all her backlist will be published here, too.
Sounds irresistible!
It is, Naomi. I’m so pleased that the publishers have plans to bring out more of her work in the UK.
Oooh this sounds like a real find, Susan, thank you!
You’re welcome, Liz. I was so pleased to hear that there was another one from her in the offing her in the UK. She has quite a backlist.
This sounds excellent – the uncluttered style is really appealing and the way its constructed almost as short stories too.
Silber’s written quite a few short stories, apparently, which shows in the way she’s structured this novel. I’m eager to read more by her now.
She is a writer whose name has been on my must-read short stories list for years. I’ve even borrowed a couple of collections on occasion, convinced that I will make the time. But, then, other books have gotten in the way. Because I read short stories so slowly, it’s a challenge for me to fit other collections in while reading Mavis Gallant and the occasional new Canadian collection. But your post has, yet again, convinced me that I must make time for Joan Silber! (I’ve read a story here and there, but nothing much.)
She’s new to me, and to the UK, but I was delighted to see she has a pleasingly lengthy backlist and I’m hoping for more of it to be published here. This one does read like a set of linked short stories.
Ah, I see! Interesting then, also, to consider why this particular volume managed to reach across the pond!
I suspect it’s a new book and so her agent decided this might be the tight time to see if they could sell the rights. Whatever the reason, I’m very glad it did! Is she very well know in North America?