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Saturn's Return to New York
Cities and families make up our lives in equal measure: both never stop changing, and both can protect us, hold us—or cut us to the bone. For Mary Forrest, 29, her city and her family are deeply entwined: her mother, Evelyn, is the editor of the most prestigious literary magazine in New York, as much a part of the city as the Chelsea Hotel (now condos) or Green-Wood Cemetery (now five figures per plot). In 1999, as gentrification morphs the neighborhoods Evelyn and Mary have known all their lives, Evelyn’s mind likewise starts to slip away. Mary’s life is going the way of the Automat and Luna Park, and she is furious.
As her city, her mother, and the other touchstones of her life start to fade away, Mary looks for hope in astrology, men, friends, and work. But when all seems lost, it’s time to stop looking for happiness outside, and start looking for the guiding stars within.
Elegiac and elegant, this new edition of Sara Gran’s first novel is introduced by the author.
As her city, her mother, and the other touchstones of her life start to fade away, Mary looks for hope in astrology, men, friends, and work. But when all seems lost, it’s time to stop looking for happiness outside, and start looking for the guiding stars within.
Elegiac and elegant, this new edition of Sara Gran’s first novel is introduced by the author.
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2001
17 people are currently reading
525 people want to read
About the author
Sara Gran
16 books2,017 followersSara Gran's most recent book is LITTLE MYSTERIES, available from Dreamland Books on 2/11/25. She is the author of 7 1/2 previous novels, a screenwriter, and a publisher.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 20, 2014
Sara Gran has just become my favorite author. That might not seem like much of a statement, but I'm 45-year-old librarian, and I've never had a favorite author before. There *was* that brief period in high school where I *might* have thought Stephen King was going to fit the bill, but that moment passed pretty quickly. And let's face it, I was in high school.
I have to say I'm so impressed by Gran's talent I might even drop her a gushing email, bordering on creepy fan, that tells her how fantastic I think she is.
I've read her more recent (Claire DeWitt) novels, and I have now read her 1st novel, and I am looking forward to reading the two novels she published in between. Finally, someone who writes flawed characters that fumble through life, learning as they go, like we all do.
And so far, she isn't formulaic. Thank you Sara Gran for not being formulaic.
Finding a favorite author sort of rocks.
Read the book.
I have to say I'm so impressed by Gran's talent I might even drop her a gushing email, bordering on creepy fan, that tells her how fantastic I think she is.
I've read her more recent (Claire DeWitt) novels, and I have now read her 1st novel, and I am looking forward to reading the two novels she published in between. Finally, someone who writes flawed characters that fumble through life, learning as they go, like we all do.
And so far, she isn't formulaic. Thank you Sara Gran for not being formulaic.
Finding a favorite author sort of rocks.
Read the book.
April 12, 2021
I've read a lot of Sara Gran and I feel very worried for and protective of her narrators. They have similar voices and actions and so often horrible things happen to them so I was bracing myself for the worst here. And I was taken aback and thrown off by the hopefulness and the happiness even in the midst of the pain. I cried, sobbed even, but in the end I felt so good and so light. Relieved. I just loved this. The most normal Sara Gran book I've ever read but still with the strangeness I love about her.
Want to read
January 20, 2019This is an advanced readers copy (ARC).
February 2, 2022
Sara Gran is such an interesting writer, i’m always impressed by the way she writes such authentic characters with genuine empathy but this early work doesn’t easily sit in the pigeonholes I have come to associate with her writing, isn’t noir, isn’t a domestic thriller, is not loaded with chills or tension and perhaps that makes Saturn’s Return to New York even more impressive. If it were released today you may even hear reference to it being Sally Rooney-esque. But she is so much more interesting than that. I can’t recommend her or this book highly enough and I can’t wait for her new book to be released.
September 1, 2016
Really liked this. It had this sort of 70s coming of age story style of writing and kind of Elizabeth Wurtzel vibe, but not in a fake or derivative way. It felt honest and genuine and almost sweet, how real and grownup innocent Mary was. This review probably makes zero sense but if it does to you, this is totally a book you should read. :)
May 9, 2015
This book is nothing like Sara Gran's other books I have read. I love the Claire Dewitt series and Dope was pretty good too. This was my least favorite one. I liked it and read it in one sitting. I even cried at the end a little. But, it is missing the gritty and raw appeal of the other books.
July 3, 2011
Sometimes books are time passers, and sometimes they speak to the moment the reader is in. The main premise of this story is the gift to the main character, Mary Forest, 29, of a reading by an astologer.
The return of Saturn happens every 29 years in a person's life, and many challenges are presented that year. If the individual doesn't meet those challenges, he/she will have to deal with them the next time Saturn returns.
While skeptical at first, Mary is presented with problems during the coming year. Her mother becomes seriously ill, her job is at a dead end, and relationships are unstable.
She evolves in the book to understanding her anger at some of the situations that she has no control over, and to take responsibility for those events over which she does have control. She goes to a Christmas party and realizes that while she knows more people each year, she likes fewer of them. Hiding at the bar from an ex-boyfriend and friends' expectations is her best option. She does come to realize that it's not really the best idea in the long run.
This is the second Sara Gran book I have read. She has common themes of loss and a fear of abandonment, with flawed characters that are believable. There is no happy Oprah-talk about closure in these novels. But there are characters that learn to make the best of what they have been given in life. And they try to learn to expect the best will happen.
The return of Saturn happens every 29 years in a person's life, and many challenges are presented that year. If the individual doesn't meet those challenges, he/she will have to deal with them the next time Saturn returns.
While skeptical at first, Mary is presented with problems during the coming year. Her mother becomes seriously ill, her job is at a dead end, and relationships are unstable.
She evolves in the book to understanding her anger at some of the situations that she has no control over, and to take responsibility for those events over which she does have control. She goes to a Christmas party and realizes that while she knows more people each year, she likes fewer of them. Hiding at the bar from an ex-boyfriend and friends' expectations is her best option. She does come to realize that it's not really the best idea in the long run.
This is the second Sara Gran book I have read. She has common themes of loss and a fear of abandonment, with flawed characters that are believable. There is no happy Oprah-talk about closure in these novels. But there are characters that learn to make the best of what they have been given in life. And they try to learn to expect the best will happen.
October 18, 2023
I really enjoyed this book - very different from other stuff I've read from Sara Gran in some ways - but even this story which in the wrong hands could be a sort of "chick-lit" book ends up being a deeper exploration of a late 20-something person figuring shit out in her life. As usual, her writing style is very unique.
July 29, 2020
Loved the story. Loved her writing. Loved the setting. Will read more by the author
October 28, 2019
This is another book I would have loved if I’d read it when it came out in 1999. I’m a little too old for it now, and it doesn’t really have much to offer by way of plot, so it’s in the “just ok” category for me. (Although I’ve got to say the voice of the first-person narration is really great, casual and off-the-cuff and natural, like you’re talking to your best friend on the phone.)
The title comes from the astrological concept that at age 29 1/2, Saturn returns to the same place it was when you were born, and this means the start of a new phase of your life. I thought about it. At age 29.5 I was living with my parents after my divorce. I applied for a job I never thought I’d get in a town that didn’t meet any of my carefully planned criteria. The rest, as they say, is history. Then I thought about what my best friend was doing at age 29.5, and I won’t give away any gossip here, but it was even more dramatic and life-changing. So maybe the Saturn return is a real thing. What do you think?
The title comes from the astrological concept that at age 29 1/2, Saturn returns to the same place it was when you were born, and this means the start of a new phase of your life. I thought about it. At age 29.5 I was living with my parents after my divorce. I applied for a job I never thought I’d get in a town that didn’t meet any of my carefully planned criteria. The rest, as they say, is history. Then I thought about what my best friend was doing at age 29.5, and I won’t give away any gossip here, but it was even more dramatic and life-changing. So maybe the Saturn return is a real thing. What do you think?
April 24, 2019
I always make it a point to buy books in independent book stores when I travel. On a recent trip to Atlanta I visited Posman Books and was having a hard time finding a book that I didn't already have in my library. Then I came across Sara Gran's Saturn's Return to New York. I had never heard of the author and was drawn to the novel because of its New York setting. I was impressed by her writing and enjoyed the book but I felt that the sad vibe overshadowed any uplifting one so that I was left feeling a bit deflated by the end.
The narrator is Mary Forrest, a single, 29-year-old woman whose mother is the well-known editor of the Greenwich Village Review, a literary magazine that she founded. Mary's father, who had been a beloved intellectual, committed suicide when Mary was seven (This is given away in the first line of the book). Mary has a tedious job writing book reviews for an online bookseller, a lackluster love life, and is feeling anxious about her direction. When her mother begins to have memory lapses, Mary makes it a point to spend more time with her, trying to make sense of the inconclusive test results, while worrying about what the future holds. The two women, whose relationship has never been ideal, take comfort in each other as they each try to come to terms with their shared past and the changing world around them.
Although I found this book charming in many ways, I was distressed by the thread of sorrow that ran through it. I also wished there had been more depth to the characters and relationships. I wanted to know more about Mary and her innermost thoughts. I loved hearing about Mary's exploits but found them ending before I got to really get into the action. The writing reminded me, in some ways, of Laurie Colwin's, whose books I adored when I was in my 20s and living in New York City. Overall, this is a sweet, if somewhat troubling, quick read that highlights the delights of pre-9/11 New York.
The narrator is Mary Forrest, a single, 29-year-old woman whose mother is the well-known editor of the Greenwich Village Review, a literary magazine that she founded. Mary's father, who had been a beloved intellectual, committed suicide when Mary was seven (This is given away in the first line of the book). Mary has a tedious job writing book reviews for an online bookseller, a lackluster love life, and is feeling anxious about her direction. When her mother begins to have memory lapses, Mary makes it a point to spend more time with her, trying to make sense of the inconclusive test results, while worrying about what the future holds. The two women, whose relationship has never been ideal, take comfort in each other as they each try to come to terms with their shared past and the changing world around them.
Although I found this book charming in many ways, I was distressed by the thread of sorrow that ran through it. I also wished there had been more depth to the characters and relationships. I wanted to know more about Mary and her innermost thoughts. I loved hearing about Mary's exploits but found them ending before I got to really get into the action. The writing reminded me, in some ways, of Laurie Colwin's, whose books I adored when I was in my 20s and living in New York City. Overall, this is a sweet, if somewhat troubling, quick read that highlights the delights of pre-9/11 New York.
March 10, 2019
A book’s star rating is, as we know, subjective, dependent on the time and circumstances under which it was read, and the reader’s frame of mind at the time of reading. In this, my rating is based on Sara Gran’s masterful ability to create a sense of place—and to evoke the virtues of friendship and community with authenticity and candor, and the book’s understated emotional wallop on me. Naturally, mileage may vary for others on the latter.
Saturn’s Return to New York is a story about a young woman coming to terms with her life: the loss of a parent under tragic circumstances; the impending loss of another; a realization of her lack of passion for her work; and the acceptance that missing out on the love we needed as a children from a parent does not prevent us creating a loving relationship with that parent today. It’s also a love song to New York City.
I first encountered Gran through her Claire de Witt nourish detective series about a (very) imperfect detective suffering from existential angst and a kind heart. Saturn’s Return to New York is her first novel, newly re-issued, with the ending that Gran wanted but was talked out of by her then-editor (Gran tells the story in a foreword). It exhibits all of the smart, thoughtful, and very funny writing that define Gran’s subsequent books. I’m grateful for the re-issue.
Saturn’s Return to New York is a story about a young woman coming to terms with her life: the loss of a parent under tragic circumstances; the impending loss of another; a realization of her lack of passion for her work; and the acceptance that missing out on the love we needed as a children from a parent does not prevent us creating a loving relationship with that parent today. It’s also a love song to New York City.
I first encountered Gran through her Claire de Witt nourish detective series about a (very) imperfect detective suffering from existential angst and a kind heart. Saturn’s Return to New York is her first novel, newly re-issued, with the ending that Gran wanted but was talked out of by her then-editor (Gran tells the story in a foreword). It exhibits all of the smart, thoughtful, and very funny writing that define Gran’s subsequent books. I’m grateful for the re-issue.
December 29, 2020
I didn’t realize that this was the same author as the Claire DeWitt novels until after I was done reading (and enjoying) this, her first novel. The narrator is moving through her 29th year in which Saturn returns to the same spot it was when she was born. She is dealing with loss (her mother) and fear of abandonment (stemming from her father and exhibiting itself throughout her life). She lives in a world surrounded by writing and books, and New York, so of course I was in from the beginning. I love her Claire books for their offbeat perspective, but still enjoyed this one immensely as it is well written.
March 27, 2020
Well this was disappointing. I just started going through the first phase of my Saturn return and thought I would mark the occasion by reading this book. I thought it was borderline depressing and plotless.
The beginning part with the Astrologer was promising but then it became about all these other characters and their lousy lives. It was a very clichéd story about a Saturn return (you know, how your life is supposed to fall apart at 29).
If the story was at least interesting I wouldn't complain, but it was dry and didn't get at the deeper purpose of a Saturn return.
The beginning part with the Astrologer was promising but then it became about all these other characters and their lousy lives. It was a very clichéd story about a Saturn return (you know, how your life is supposed to fall apart at 29).
If the story was at least interesting I wouldn't complain, but it was dry and didn't get at the deeper purpose of a Saturn return.
September 2, 2019
As a fan of her Claire DeWitt series, decided to try this stand-alone. Writing terrific as expected, but I couldn't really identify with the main character, so relied on the NYC setting to carry me through. She seemed awfully naive about money to be shocked at her mother's net worth.
Rounded up to four stars as I realize I'm not the target audience. Perhaps (younger) females might appreciate the story more?
Rounded up to four stars as I realize I'm not the target audience. Perhaps (younger) females might appreciate the story more?
February 19, 2024
I enjoyed this especially the NYC setting. I was so interested in the author’s forward chronicling the original publication of the book and the editor’s insistence of an addition ending chapter. I was perfectly happy with the ending in this unchanged version and confused about what the original editor considered unresolved or needing clarification
January 6, 2018
Nothing special or startling, just a solid novel about coming to terms with life, death and fear. It takes place in New York with a tiny glimpse of the magazine and book worlds there and an introduction to a variety of restaurants.
July 21, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. I was so sad it was over. I, too, found 29 to be a transformative year, and I found myself frequenting a couple of Mary's haunts in NYC that year, especially The Strand.
September 13, 2020
Sara Gran's skills are on full display throughout her solid debut detailing the final season of a strained mother/daughter relationship. Written with the same honesty and bitingly sharp humor of her works to come this early story was a treat to discover- even if discovered late.
Good stuff!
Good stuff!
January 13, 2023
Smart, funny and original
This author, I'm definitely looking for more of her work. Not once did I think, hmm , I would have written that differently. The best compliment I can give a novel is that I forget I'm reading it and that's what happened, I was involved. Thanks.
This author, I'm definitely looking for more of her work. Not once did I think, hmm , I would have written that differently. The best compliment I can give a novel is that I forget I'm reading it and that's what happened, I was involved. Thanks.
July 13, 2011
To quote this book's narrator discussing another character's first novel, "It's a typical autobiographical first novel, except that it's good."
July 7, 2019
Sara gran....the real deal...my new girl
Read
March 25, 2020Just wasn’t working for me. Not very interested in the main character so makes it hard to continue. Really love this writer though and her mystery series is tops!
July 31, 2021
This is a gem. I have become a huge fan of Sara Gran. She writes so well in such diverse themes and genres.
May 2, 2019
An easy read with some rather witty content. Prepare to laugh to yourself upon occasion.The main character, Mary Forrest, is exceptionally annoying for most of the book. Thankfully she slightly redeems herself in the last few chapters. Her mother, Evelyn, on the other hand, is absolutely wonderful. I know that there is something to it, this stark contrast of character between the two. But I'm not used to having such a strong disliking (practically being on the verge of hate) for the protagonist.
Regardless, it's a good enough book. I particularly enjoyed the way Sara Gran painted New York. I feel like she embodied the real down to Earth aspects of New York (or generally any changing city). Not that dull over romanticized and idealistic New York that so many people throw at us in books and movies and television. Not that it's particularly bad, to romanticize a city. It's just refreshing to see a realistic approach.
Regardless, it's a good enough book. I particularly enjoyed the way Sara Gran painted New York. I feel like she embodied the real down to Earth aspects of New York (or generally any changing city). Not that dull over romanticized and idealistic New York that so many people throw at us in books and movies and television. Not that it's particularly bad, to romanticize a city. It's just refreshing to see a realistic approach.
December 11, 2020
The main character was spoiled and uninteresting, but the writing pulled me along, almost against my will. I picked up the book somewhat randomly in the bookstore, and I just had to keep reading! That’s saying something, especially since this is written in the first-person POV of said spoiled character...
Sara Gran is an author with a ton of charisma. It makes a lot of sense to me that she went on to write in a variety of genres — horror, mystery. I would recommend her first Claire Dewitt mystery novel over this one. I don’t often say that I’d prefer MORE plot, but the navel-gazing in this one didn’t work for me.
Sara Gran is an author with a ton of charisma. It makes a lot of sense to me that she went on to write in a variety of genres — horror, mystery. I would recommend her first Claire Dewitt mystery novel over this one. I don’t often say that I’d prefer MORE plot, but the navel-gazing in this one didn’t work for me.
August 25, 2025
Fabulous author (Sara Gran and excellent book. I might have given it 5 stars instead of 4 if the subject was different (I just don't really like family issues and lots of backstory) but the author's overall story was so good. The narrator, a 29 year old woman working for a magazine, reviewing books, has had family problems, men problems, happiness problems, but tries to put them aside to help her mother, who starts suffering from memory lapses.
April 22, 2019
This book made me cry. Suddenly, unexpectedly. Sara Gran’s work continues to speak to me on a personal level. It also conjures a very specific time and place (New York at the turn of the millennium) in honest and stark relief to what that place used to be like. I’m glad I waited to read this version which according to the forward is the author’s preferred one. I couldn’t imagine it ending in a more satisfying way.
August 16, 2019
I didn't think I would like this book, and ended up really vibing with it by the end. It has a lot of old school New Yorker nostalgia, but with a heart. I read the edition without the added final chapter and I'm glad I did; the idea of this book ending as a love story note tied up with a bow makes no sense.
August 6, 2024
Maybe you have to love New York City to love this book? Maybe you have to have a dead parent? How are the reviews so rave for this?
Honestly, I stand by my 34.88% update where I said that reading this book feels like being stuck in a waiting room with a chatty lady that wants to tell you her whole life story, similar even down to the constant changes of subject and way too many names dropped that you'll never keep straight, all coming to no real point.
I was looking forward to a normal slice of life book, seeing how normal everyday people live. And, yeah, I guess this book probably did that well. But I guess it's just not for me. Back to my fantasy and sci-fi!
I actually was 29 years old (the time of one's Saturn return, and aware of the term after hearing it in that Vanessa Carlton song and googling) when I first checked this book out. But here I am just now reading it and I'll be 32 in a few weeks. But I think I may have liked it even less then, so whatever.
September 7, 2022 – page 1 of Sara Gran's BotMPS: "No way, I just saw the author's list of other books and realized I already have Saturn's Return to New York checked out. Happened upon that one in the library stacks and this one through Fantastic Fiction. What a coincidence." (Book of the Most Precious Substance was much more fun, by the way. And you still get a degenerative illness!)
Honestly, I stand by my 34.88% update where I said that reading this book feels like being stuck in a waiting room with a chatty lady that wants to tell you her whole life story, similar even down to the constant changes of subject and way too many names dropped that you'll never keep straight, all coming to no real point.
I was looking forward to a normal slice of life book, seeing how normal everyday people live. And, yeah, I guess this book probably did that well. But I guess it's just not for me. Back to my fantasy and sci-fi!
I actually was 29 years old (the time of one's Saturn return, and aware of the term after hearing it in that Vanessa Carlton song and googling) when I first checked this book out. But here I am just now reading it and I'll be 32 in a few weeks. But I think I may have liked it even less then, so whatever.
September 7, 2022 – page 1 of Sara Gran's BotMPS: "No way, I just saw the author's list of other books and realized I already have Saturn's Return to New York checked out. Happened upon that one in the library stacks and this one through Fantastic Fiction. What a coincidence." (Book of the Most Precious Substance was much more fun, by the way. And you still get a degenerative illness!)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews