Mislaid A Novel
Mislaid A Novel by Nell Zink is a reprint edition published by HarperCollins on January 26, 2016, featuring 256 pages in English. This novel presents a sharply observed and humorous narrative that explores the complexities of family dynamics, race, and identity in America. Set in 1966 at Stillwater College in Virginia, the story follows Peggy, a freshman with literary aspirations, who becomes entangled in a tumultuous relationship with Lee, a poet and professor. Their ill-fated marriage leads to unexpected challenges, including an unplanned pregnancy and the unraveling of their identities.
Readers will find a rich exploration of emotional issues as Peggy adopts a new persona to escape her past, raising her daughter in a community where their true identities remain concealed. The narrative delves into the lives of Peggy and Lee’s children, Byrdie and Karen, as they navigate their complex family history. The novel culminates in a series of misunderstandings that evoke a comedic finale reminiscent of Shakespearean themes. Mislaid offers a unique perspective on LGBTQ+ experiences and societal assumptions, making it a thought-provoking read for those interested in literary fiction.
Official synopsis Publisher
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2015 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
A sharply observed, mordantly funny, and startlingly original novel from an exciting, unconventional new voice—the author of the acclaimed The Wallcreeper—about the making and unmaking of the American family that lays bare all of our assumptions about race and racism, sexuality and desire.
Stillwater College in Virginia, 1966. Freshman Peggy, an ingénue with literary pretensions, falls under the spell of Lee, a blue-blooded poet and professor, and they begin an ill-advised affair that results in an unplanned pregnancy and marriage. The two are mismatched from the start—she’s a lesbian, he’s gay—but it takes a decade of emotional erosion before Peggy runs off with their three-year-old daughter, leaving their nine-year-old son behind.
Worried that Lee will have her committed for her erratic behavior, Peggy goes underground, adopting an African American persona for her and her daughter. They squat in a house in an African-American settlement, eventually moving to a housing project where no one questions their true racial identities. As Peggy and Lee’s children grow up, they must contend with diverse emotional issues: Byrdie deals with his father’s compulsive honesty; while Karen struggles with her mother’s lies—she knows neither her real age, nor that she is “white,” nor that she has any other family.
Years later, a minority scholarship lands Karen at the University of Virginia, where Byrdie is in his senior year. Eventually the long lost siblings will meet, setting off a series of misunderstandings and culminating in a comedic finale worthy of Shakespeare.
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