You
won’t find much going on or even very many characters in Robin Black’s stunning
debut novel, but in the hands of this talented writer, you don’t need
them. Summed up in one sentence, Life Drawing is about a childless couple
who lives in an isolated area until they suddenly get a neighbor. There, doesn’t sound very exciting,
right? That’s where you’re wrong.
Owen
and his wife, Gus, are a writer and artist respectively who are surprised one
day to find that someone has moved close to them in their rural area. Allison is warm and friendly; before long,
Owen and Gus come out of their shells and become neighborly, inviting her to
come over for dinner. When Allison’s
daughter, Nora, comes to stay for awhile, they all become ingrained in each
other’s lives, and Life Drawing
quickly becomes a wonderful character study before its shocking, sudden
conclusion.
Kudos
to Black for this gorgeously written book, where every word is necessary and
each paragraph reads like a stirring melody.
