Monster in the Middle: A Novel“Reveals on every page how love can persevere and take shape over time and space.”—Boston Globe "Transporting and deeply emotional.”—Glamour “One of the most inventive and talented stylists of her generation.” —Vulture From the award-winning author of Land of Love and Drowning, an electric new novel that maps the emotional inheritance of one couple newly in love. When Fly and Stela meet in 21st Century New York City, it seems like fate. He's a Black American musician from a mixed-religious background who knows all about heartbreak. She’s a Catholic science teacher from the Caribbean, looking for lasting love. But are they meant to be? The answer goes back decades—all the way to their parents' earliest loves. Vibrant and emotionally riveting, Monster in the Middle moves across decades, from the U.S. to the Virgin Islands to Ghana and back again, to show how one couple's romance is intrinsically influenced by the family lore and love stories that preceded their own pairing. What challenges and traumas must this new couple inherit, what hopes and ambitions will keep them moving forward? Exploring desire and identity, religion and class, passion and obligation, the novel posits that in order to answer the question “who are we meant to be with?” we must first understand who we are and how we came to be. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - m.belljackson - LibraryThingMONSTER explores the background parentage of the coming together of Fly and Stella. So Promising! Yet, none of the many characters resonate. Overdrawn on cursing and sex... Read full review
Monster in the Middle
User Review - Publishers WeeklyYanique (How to Escape from a Leper Colony) inventively juxtaposes the start of a new relationship with family histories in this sumptuous saga. Fly Lovett meets Stela Jones in early 2020 during the ... Read full review
Contents
LOVE LETTER | 1 |
THE SPECIAL WORLD | 87 |
STELA | 115 |
MONSTER IN THE MIDDLE | 133 |
BELLY OF THE WHALE | 141 |
EXPERIENTIAL STUDIES | 161 |
SESTINA | 217 |
MEETING THE MONSTER | 233 |
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Common terms and phrases
actually African already American asked baby Black body called church close coming dead didn't door Earl Ellie Eloise eyes face father feel felt finally fingers Fly's fucking Gary getting girl give hair hand hard he'd head hear heard hold island It's Jesus Johann keep kind knew leave lived looked Malaika marbles Maristela married Martin mean meant morning mother mouth needed never night once opened painting parents Pastor picture played pulled quilt saved seemed seen she'd side singing smile someone sometimes sounded standing started stayed Stela Steven stood stopped story sure sweet talk tell Thank thing thought told took tried true trying turned voice waiting walked wanted wasn't watched whole woman women wondered
Bibliographic information
| Title | Monster in the Middle: A Novel |
| Author | Tiphanie Yanique |
| Publisher | Penguin, 2021 |
| ISBN | 1594633606, 9781594633607 |
| Length | 288 pages |
| Subjects | › › Fiction / African American & Black / General Fiction / Literary Fiction / Women |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |