We Five: A Novel

by Mark Dunn

We Five tells the story of five young female friends and co-workers through the voices of five different authors, the story unfolding against five distinct historic backdrops. The driving conceit is that an anonymously authored manuscript from the mid-1860s (perhaps the work of Dickens contemporary Elizabeth Gaskell) was discovered and later published. Over the succeeding decades four other authors choose to retell this story in their own time and in their own way. The last author has now gone a step she has assembled all five versions into a literary pastiche which cycles chapter-by-chapter through the different versions as the central narrative progresses.

The result is a novel about five young women pursued by five young men of predatory purpose, which takes place alternatively in a small mill town outside of Manchester, England in 1859; in San Francisco on the eve of the 1906 earthquake and fire; in Sinclair Lewis’s fictional Zenith, Winnemac in 1923; in London during the Blitz of autumn, 1940; and in a small town in northern Mississippi in 1997. In the first book “We Five” are seamstresses; in the next they are department store sales clerks; in the next, they sing in the choir of a popular female evangelist; in the next, they work in an ordinance factory outside of London; and in the final version, they are cocktail waitresses in a Mississippi River casino.

The book’s climax is a dramatic collision of all five incarnations of the an incident of mass hysteria arising from a solar storm in 1859, the 1906 San Francisco quake, a fire in the evangelist’s newly built “temple” in 1923, the 1940 Balham Underground station bombing and flooding, and a tornado in rural 1997 Mississippi.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2015

About the author

Mark Dunn is the author of several books and more than thirty full-length plays, a dozen of which have been published in acting edition.

Mark has received over 200 productions of his work for the stage throughout the world, with translations of his plays into French, Italian, Dutch and Hungarian. His play North Fork (later retitled Cabin Fever: A Texas Tragicomedy when it was picked up for publication by Samuel French) premiered at the New Jersey Repertory Company (NJRC) in 1999 and has since gone on to receive numerous productions throughout the U.S.

Mark is co-author with NJRC composer-in-residence Merek Royce Press of Octet: A Concert Play, which received its world premiere at NJRC in 2000. Two of his plays, Helen’s Most Favorite Day and Dix Tableaux, have gone on to publication and national licensing by Samuel French. His novels include the award-winning Ella Minnow Pea, Welcome to Higby, Ibid, the children’s novel The Calamitous Adventures of Rodney and Wayne, Under the Harrow and Feral Park.

Mark teaches creative writing and leads playwriting seminars around the country, in addition to serving as Vice President of the non-profit PULA (People United for Libraries in Africa), which he founded with his wife, Mary, in 2002.

(modified bio courtesy of http://njrep.org/playwrights.htm)

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite the odd choice of subject matter for Dunn, though of course he’s never played by the rules. I adore Ella Minnow Pea and Ibid, but this composite novel – pieced together from five alternating accounts, from different time periods, of five female friends and their search for romance and careers – just seems like show-offy pastiche. He’s made up a posthumous Elizabeth Gaskell novel and uses stock Gaskellian names (Barton, Hale, Ruth) for his girlfriends. Although each setting, from 1850s England to 1990s Mississippi, has genuine vocabulary and dialogue, it’s unclear what they’re all doing in the same book.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting experimental novel--the author takes five "retellings" of one story (they're really all by him) and interweaves them together to show how masculine violence can take form over time. At times I had a hard time keeping it straight, but such an interesting structure for a novel, it was really interesting and made me think. Would be a good book to discuss with other readers.

[Joan Plotnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charmer of a book. Travels through decades and locations effortlessly. Well portrayed characters. The story line is both compelling and well-paced. By the time you are halfway through the characters feel like good friends and you can't wait to see what happens to them. Near the end, it is impossible to put down.

[Kirsten Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a lot of respect for this book, and I think it will be an enjoyable read for others. It was an engrossing read for me. That said, this story bothers me.

The introductory segment, in the oldest time, with the most verbose "author," almost made me put the book down. It didn't feel authentic, and honestly, why should it? The author is a man in the 21st century writing about women in the 19th century. But, I continued on.

With ten main characters, I had a hard time keeping them all straight. Even though the author made parallels so that it's more like 5 main characters with a counterpoint character. I had to check back a few times to make sure I was remembering the correct character.

But, as the story moved along, I found that I couldn't put it down. And then it got dark and uncomfortable, and I kept waiting for the darkness to lift and for certain characters to come out with redeeming qualities. (Here is my spoiler) But they don't. The men of this story are disgusting. They are nasty, vile, horrible creatures. (With two exceptions, maybe, but I'm not sure on that point either.)

And this, I think, is ultimately what bothers me the most about this story. It shows a group of young men, who could very easily be any group of young men, in the absolute worst light. It is too easy to imagine these men as the flesh and blood humans in your life. (Especially if you live in a college town and walk past the frat houses regularly) There is no redemption. There is only gross reality reflected in this fictional story.

I enjoy Mark Dunn's writing - he does try to stay outside the box, and I appreciate that. I think my dislike of the characterizations says a lot more about me than it does the work.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

That was a really weird book.

[Kat Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting addition to the many incarnations of this novel. Enjoyed this novel at first, but it became tedious. Odd choice for this author.

[Patti Silvey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very confusing. Usually I love period pieces but I don't like the way this author combined parts of other author's pieces of this book.

[Jessica Brazeal Slaven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my fav.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not get into this one. I read the London Blitz portion but I just don't "get" this book.

[Lynn McMillen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has an amazing mind. Just love his books.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this book, but didn't care for the execution of it.

[Aaron]

Gimmick didn't hook me