Book Review: Luster by Raven Leilani
Edie is a young, black, adrift painter with an untouchable wit and wild self awareness. Edie enters into a causal relationship with a much older white suitor named Eric. Their relationship is dark, twisted, and seemingly all on Eric’s terms.
After misfortune, Edie finds herself without a job, without a home, and a proposition that will aid in temporarily resolving her problems by way of Eric’s wife unbeknownst to Eric. Though the book consists of only eight chapters, this was a heavy read for me. It’s poetically layered with purpose.
Edie’s internal dialogue and described interactions with signature characters help explore race, companionship, adoption, abuse, and long term effects of family trauma. The lingering answer to ‘intent’ or ‘reasoning why’ being left open for the reader’s interpretation provided a wealth of enlightenment that stayed with me long after I finished reading.
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-MLW-
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