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Ana Turns
“This moving portrait of a woman assessing the friendships, romances, and family relationships that have shaped her sixty years contains a wealth of keen insight and just the right touch of delightful humor.” —Sigrid Nunez, author of What Are You Going Through
A kaleidoscopic story, unspooling over the twenty-four hours of a very contemporary woman’s sixtieth birthday.
Nine years have passed since Ana Koehl had sex with her pot-addicted anesthesiologist husband, seven since she began an affair with a gonzo journalist. She’s gratified by her work as a book doula, but burdened by her belief that she need always be on call. Her elderly mother’s birthday greeting is an inflation-adjusted calculation of the cost of raising Ana in a mice-infested house, her brother has hijacked the will of their recently deceased starchitect father, her adult child is changing rapidly before her eyes, and her best friend advocates for “the truth in lies.” Gazing out at the dark moat of Central Park from behind her desk, Ana sees that she can no longer postpone making peace with her past or confronting her present.
Narrated by Ana and the key figures in her life—her husband, her brother, her lover’s wife, to name a few—Ana Turns spirals through issues from capital punishment to the dynamiting of the Bamiyan Buddhas, culminating in a watershed dinner party, with Ana’s family members’ true colors on full display. By day’s end, the bounds of her own collaboration and forgiveness illuminated, Ana turns towards a vision of what she wants next in this blink of a life.
"With each glorious, hilarious page I found myself turning with Ana, one of the most original creations I've seen in a while and, to steal from Lermontov, truly A Heroine of Our Time." --Gary Shteyngart, author of Our Country Friends
"I fell in love with Ana, a modern-day Mrs. Dalloway crisscrossing New York City to discover the unexpected truths about her life, lovers and impossible family. An exquisitely written love letter to what it means to be a grown-up woman." --Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Lisa Gornick's Ana Turns is a beautifully written and propulsive novel of desire and longing, regret and forgiveness. Ana is my favorite kind of character--deeply perceptive, surprisingly funny, and smart as hell. I loved this novel." --Angie Kim, author of Miracle Creek
"It's a great feat to capture a whole life through the lens of a single day. Lisa Gornick's Ana Turns does this beautifully in a series of vivid encounters with both the present and the past on the momentous occasion of her sixtieth birthday. It's exciting to watch Ana risk revealing her true feelings and to ultimately discover what she wants and deserves. But this isn't only an internal story. The novel sweeps through history and travels all over the world to show the influences Ana is bringing with her into each moment, alone or with others. Ana Turns is a powerful story of a woman coming into her own." --Alice Elliott Dark, author of Fellowship Point
A kaleidoscopic story, unspooling over the twenty-four hours of a very contemporary woman’s sixtieth birthday.
Nine years have passed since Ana Koehl had sex with her pot-addicted anesthesiologist husband, seven since she began an affair with a gonzo journalist. She’s gratified by her work as a book doula, but burdened by her belief that she need always be on call. Her elderly mother’s birthday greeting is an inflation-adjusted calculation of the cost of raising Ana in a mice-infested house, her brother has hijacked the will of their recently deceased starchitect father, her adult child is changing rapidly before her eyes, and her best friend advocates for “the truth in lies.” Gazing out at the dark moat of Central Park from behind her desk, Ana sees that she can no longer postpone making peace with her past or confronting her present.
Narrated by Ana and the key figures in her life—her husband, her brother, her lover’s wife, to name a few—Ana Turns spirals through issues from capital punishment to the dynamiting of the Bamiyan Buddhas, culminating in a watershed dinner party, with Ana’s family members’ true colors on full display. By day’s end, the bounds of her own collaboration and forgiveness illuminated, Ana turns towards a vision of what she wants next in this blink of a life.
"With each glorious, hilarious page I found myself turning with Ana, one of the most original creations I've seen in a while and, to steal from Lermontov, truly A Heroine of Our Time." --Gary Shteyngart, author of Our Country Friends
"I fell in love with Ana, a modern-day Mrs. Dalloway crisscrossing New York City to discover the unexpected truths about her life, lovers and impossible family. An exquisitely written love letter to what it means to be a grown-up woman." --Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Lisa Gornick's Ana Turns is a beautifully written and propulsive novel of desire and longing, regret and forgiveness. Ana is my favorite kind of character--deeply perceptive, surprisingly funny, and smart as hell. I loved this novel." --Angie Kim, author of Miracle Creek
"It's a great feat to capture a whole life through the lens of a single day. Lisa Gornick's Ana Turns does this beautifully in a series of vivid encounters with both the present and the past on the momentous occasion of her sixtieth birthday. It's exciting to watch Ana risk revealing her true feelings and to ultimately discover what she wants and deserves. But this isn't only an internal story. The novel sweeps through history and travels all over the world to show the influences Ana is bringing with her into each moment, alone or with others. Ana Turns is a powerful story of a woman coming into her own." --Alice Elliott Dark, author of Fellowship Point
256 pages, Hardcover
Published November 7, 2023
23 people are currently reading
3271 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Gornick
6 books124 followersLisa Gornick has been hailed by NPR as "one of the most perceptive, compassionate writers of fiction in America...immensely talented and brave." She is the author of an upcoming novel, ANA TURNS (Turner Publishing, November 7), as well as THE PEACOCK FEAST (FSG), LOUISA MEETS BEAR (FSG), TINDERBOX (FSG), and A PRIVATE SORCERY (Algonquin). Her stories and essays have appeared widely, including in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Paris Review, Real Simple, and Slate. A graduate of the Yale clinical psychology program and the psychoanalytic training program at Columbia, where she is on the faculty, she was for many years a practicing psychotherapist and psychoanalyst. She lives in New York City with her family. You can learn more about Lisa and her work at lisagornickauthor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
September 8, 2023
Ana Turns by Lisa Gornick
Fiction | Dual Timelines
•Ana Koehl has been having an affair with a gonzo journalist for the past seven years. Her husband, Henry is a pot addicted anaesthesiologist who she hasn’t had sex with for the past nine years. On her 60th birthday, she revisits her past and reflects on how her life has been spiralling before her own eyes.
•There were so many interesting stories told in this novel. I found that I really needed to concentrate when reading this, as the timeline would shift without warning. I liked the structure, as it was different from my previous reads. I think this would be a great book for a bookclub of women in their late 30’s upwards as there is so many topics to unpack.
Feels: intriguing and carefully crafted. (I love the fact that Torrey Peters supported Lisa Gornick)
★★★★ 4/5
Fiction | Dual Timelines
•Ana Koehl has been having an affair with a gonzo journalist for the past seven years. Her husband, Henry is a pot addicted anaesthesiologist who she hasn’t had sex with for the past nine years. On her 60th birthday, she revisits her past and reflects on how her life has been spiralling before her own eyes.
•There were so many interesting stories told in this novel. I found that I really needed to concentrate when reading this, as the timeline would shift without warning. I liked the structure, as it was different from my previous reads. I think this would be a great book for a bookclub of women in their late 30’s upwards as there is so many topics to unpack.
Feels: intriguing and carefully crafted. (I love the fact that Torrey Peters supported Lisa Gornick)
★★★★ 4/5
January 1, 2024
Review to come.
May 2, 2023
This is a book about a woman turning 60, the event itself overshadowed by her mean mother's sniping comments about how much it cost to raise her. The mother is an actuary so not surprising that the only value she would place on the relationship is fiscal.
Ana's sexual relationship with her husband is non existent but not to fear, she's having an affair with Lance.
The story leapt from anecdote to anecdote, the best one being about the thwarted hijacking but I found it very hard to care. I was at first intrigued to read a story about someone with a trans son, and navigating the somewhat tricky world of pronouns but this was only used as a way to snipe at her brother, whom she also had a bad relationship with. Possibly this book was trying to do too much in too little time.
Ana's sexual relationship with her husband is non existent but not to fear, she's having an affair with Lance.
The story leapt from anecdote to anecdote, the best one being about the thwarted hijacking but I found it very hard to care. I was at first intrigued to read a story about someone with a trans son, and navigating the somewhat tricky world of pronouns but this was only used as a way to snipe at her brother, whom she also had a bad relationship with. Possibly this book was trying to do too much in too little time.
July 5, 2023
Where Mrs. Dalloway so seamlessly brought past into the present during the course of a day, and nothing felt like backstory, Ana Turns, which seems to be trying to emulate that masterwork, doesn't accomplish that. Rather than seamless twining of past and present, here the forward movement is lost entirely in the recollections, the myriad backstories, not only of Ana, the titular character turning sixty, but those of her husband Henry, and others. And the recollections are so detailed, replete with remembered dialogue, and all seem to have the same tenor - whether it's Ana's father on his death bed acknowledging his father was a Nazi collaborator, whether it's Anna's longtime affair, whether it's Ana and Henry's son who has long realized they are transgender. So many stories piled up and I, who love a complicated novel, lost interest in Ana, her trials and tribulations, her history, her everything. I tried. I wanted to like it, to be immersed, but alas I was not. Kudos, though, for featuring a 60 year old woman as a main character.
Thanks to Netgalley and Keylight Books for an ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and Keylight Books for an ARC.
February 13, 2024
Ana Turns is both a tender and wounded examination of the complexity of the family relationships and friendships of a woman as she reaches her 60th birthday. Unfortunately, I found it overly repetitive on its remembrances of the past and too heavy on gender wokism but overall it was an enjoyable and easy read. 3*
I received a drc from the publisher via NetGalley.
I received a drc from the publisher via NetGalley.
October 9, 2023
On her sixtieth birthday, Ana’s mother sent her an email stating it was “appropriate” to inform her of the exact cost of raising her, adjusted for the current dollar value, and how, if she had invested the money, it would have been a quarter of a million dollars. “Being a parent is a great sacrifice,” she concludes.
Ana’s mother was a beautiful teenage model when she became pregnant with Ana. The father married her, but was unfaithful, and the marriage didn’t last. Ana was a disappointment to her mother, but she doted on her son.
Ana is married to a doctor, a good man, but addicted to pot after an accident left him him continual pain; their intimacy came to an end. For seven years, Ana has been involved with another man, a gorgeous hunk. Her best friend, Fiona, knows all Ana’s secrets.
Over the course of the day, Ana meets with a client, her lover, a niece, her mother, her friend, and the day concludes with a family gathering. Over the course of the day we learn about Ana and her family through her memories and those of her family.
Ana’s self-centered family has never been there for her, and the hurt remains. Her mother is bitter, her ‘ruined’ by a man and pregnancy. Ana’s father grew up in her father’ Swiss hotel, his father collaborating with Nazis to survive. Her cold brother George has never offered help or support when she needed it. With her husband withdrawn since his accident, they live separate lives. Ana’s only child has announced they are trans, throwing Ana off balance. She has her work, the nieces who love her, her best friend, and her lover.
At the end of the day, Ana acknowledges that her family is still family, to see them as they are, and to understand she alone is responsible for her happiness.
Ana turns sixty, and become wise, she turns to the future.
Lisa Gornick’s novel is rich in psychological insight, bringing her characters into sharp focus, allowing readers to be transformed with Ana. It is refreshing to read about a character who has reached the end of her middle years, still young enough to alter the shape of her future. There are so many things that could be discussed by a book club.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
Ana’s mother was a beautiful teenage model when she became pregnant with Ana. The father married her, but was unfaithful, and the marriage didn’t last. Ana was a disappointment to her mother, but she doted on her son.
Ana is married to a doctor, a good man, but addicted to pot after an accident left him him continual pain; their intimacy came to an end. For seven years, Ana has been involved with another man, a gorgeous hunk. Her best friend, Fiona, knows all Ana’s secrets.
Over the course of the day, Ana meets with a client, her lover, a niece, her mother, her friend, and the day concludes with a family gathering. Over the course of the day we learn about Ana and her family through her memories and those of her family.
Ana’s self-centered family has never been there for her, and the hurt remains. Her mother is bitter, her ‘ruined’ by a man and pregnancy. Ana’s father grew up in her father’ Swiss hotel, his father collaborating with Nazis to survive. Her cold brother George has never offered help or support when she needed it. With her husband withdrawn since his accident, they live separate lives. Ana’s only child has announced they are trans, throwing Ana off balance. She has her work, the nieces who love her, her best friend, and her lover.
At the end of the day, Ana acknowledges that her family is still family, to see them as they are, and to understand she alone is responsible for her happiness.
Ana turns sixty, and become wise, she turns to the future.
Lisa Gornick’s novel is rich in psychological insight, bringing her characters into sharp focus, allowing readers to be transformed with Ana. It is refreshing to read about a character who has reached the end of her middle years, still young enough to alter the shape of her future. There are so many things that could be discussed by a book club.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
May 3, 2023
Ana Turns
Ana Turns is broadly based on the structure of Mrs. Dalloway. It is a day in the life of a woman reckoning with her past and present. Although the most notable tribute was Michael Cunningham’s Pulitzer prize winning, THE HOURS, written in 1998, in many ways, this story is truer to the spirit of the original. With grace, perception of what makes us tick and originality, this book was a wonderful read.
It's Ana’s sixtieth birthday. And what are birthdays for (especially the milestones) but to think about the rest of our lives. Her life has been complicated and is looking back, knowing that if she is to find happiness in her future, she must make peace with her past. Unlike Clarissa, she did not plan her party, which may be part of her overall problem.
The book is narrated by Ana as well as the central people in her life—husband, mother, father, brother, best friend and more. Although all of these points of view could be clunky and distracting, they are not. In fact, I thought they were pitch perfect in dovetailing with Ana’s chapters.
Raised by a single, resentful mother, the story opens with a birthday email . It is a calculation that in the twenty years she was raising Ana, she spent $56,000, which adjusted for inflation would amount to $85,000. Had she invested it, rather than spending it on her daughter, it would have grown to A QUARTER OF A MILLION. And now in her old age, she is forced to live on social security and small pension in an infested apartment. Happy Birthday!
A great start to the special day...
Her father, a recently deceased famous architect, wasn’t much of a father either. An egotistical chauvinist never interested in his children, traveled the world, married multiple times, was never much interested in who he disappointed until towards his end.
These are the bullet points of her life now:
• She hasn’t had sex with her husband, Henry, in nine years, since he became pot addicted after an accident.
• For seven of those years, she’s been having an affair with a married gonzo journalist.
• Professionally, she is a book doula, which satisfies her to some extent as it mixes her professions of social work and study of literature but is becoming tilted in a negative direction.
• Her brother, George, cold, calculating, favored child has done something that affects Ana’s family without consulting her.
• And her son, Simon, is undergoing changes that is understandably rattling her but which she wants to understand and support.
Whew! There is more but I’ll leave it at that.
At the dinner party finale, a colorful event with all the family at their best and worst, Ana shows us what she’s made of.
Author Lisa Gornick is a fabulous writer. The characters were nuanced and though some were extremely unlikable, you understood them. There was humor amidst the pathos. Ana was a vivid, beautifully rendered protagonist. As a practicing psychotherapist, Gornick’s understanding of all our shades of gray, made this book sing.
Highly recommend.
With many thanks to both Keylight Books and Netgalley for the privilege of reading this advanced reading copy.
For more reviews, please check out: www.jantramontano.com/readerscafe
Publisher : Keylight Books (November 7, 2023)
Ana Turns is broadly based on the structure of Mrs. Dalloway. It is a day in the life of a woman reckoning with her past and present. Although the most notable tribute was Michael Cunningham’s Pulitzer prize winning, THE HOURS, written in 1998, in many ways, this story is truer to the spirit of the original. With grace, perception of what makes us tick and originality, this book was a wonderful read.
It's Ana’s sixtieth birthday. And what are birthdays for (especially the milestones) but to think about the rest of our lives. Her life has been complicated and is looking back, knowing that if she is to find happiness in her future, she must make peace with her past. Unlike Clarissa, she did not plan her party, which may be part of her overall problem.
The book is narrated by Ana as well as the central people in her life—husband, mother, father, brother, best friend and more. Although all of these points of view could be clunky and distracting, they are not. In fact, I thought they were pitch perfect in dovetailing with Ana’s chapters.
Raised by a single, resentful mother, the story opens with a birthday email . It is a calculation that in the twenty years she was raising Ana, she spent $56,000, which adjusted for inflation would amount to $85,000. Had she invested it, rather than spending it on her daughter, it would have grown to A QUARTER OF A MILLION. And now in her old age, she is forced to live on social security and small pension in an infested apartment. Happy Birthday!
A great start to the special day...
Her father, a recently deceased famous architect, wasn’t much of a father either. An egotistical chauvinist never interested in his children, traveled the world, married multiple times, was never much interested in who he disappointed until towards his end.
These are the bullet points of her life now:
• She hasn’t had sex with her husband, Henry, in nine years, since he became pot addicted after an accident.
• For seven of those years, she’s been having an affair with a married gonzo journalist.
• Professionally, she is a book doula, which satisfies her to some extent as it mixes her professions of social work and study of literature but is becoming tilted in a negative direction.
• Her brother, George, cold, calculating, favored child has done something that affects Ana’s family without consulting her.
• And her son, Simon, is undergoing changes that is understandably rattling her but which she wants to understand and support.
Whew! There is more but I’ll leave it at that.
At the dinner party finale, a colorful event with all the family at their best and worst, Ana shows us what she’s made of.
Author Lisa Gornick is a fabulous writer. The characters were nuanced and though some were extremely unlikable, you understood them. There was humor amidst the pathos. Ana was a vivid, beautifully rendered protagonist. As a practicing psychotherapist, Gornick’s understanding of all our shades of gray, made this book sing.
Highly recommend.
With many thanks to both Keylight Books and Netgalley for the privilege of reading this advanced reading copy.
For more reviews, please check out: www.jantramontano.com/readerscafe
Publisher : Keylight Books (November 7, 2023)
June 25, 2023
A lovely and sprawling story of a woman turning 60. It took place on Ana’s birthday, but it was also full of the stories of the characters in her life (parents, grandparents, husband, lover, lover’s wife, one of Ana’s clients) and their past histories and present lives. And many of the sentences - the author’s writing, about the characters and their histories, were long and convoluted, although interesting! - and often very hard to follow. I frequently forgot who various characters were.
One of the characters is trans, and Gornick does a nice job of presenting Ana’s feelings about that.
I enjoyed the character of New York, as I always do when a novel is set in the city. The story of Ana was interesting enough; I wish it had been simpler, honestly.
I am grateful for NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance and to offer my honest review.
One of the characters is trans, and Gornick does a nice job of presenting Ana’s feelings about that.
I enjoyed the character of New York, as I always do when a novel is set in the city. The story of Ana was interesting enough; I wish it had been simpler, honestly.
I am grateful for NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance and to offer my honest review.
May 23, 2023
I loved the structure of this book - a lifetime in a single day. Ana was so compelling. I savoured her chapters and loved hearing from her - I took notes of so many lines written from her view. I'd also very much like a Fiona in my life.
I found some of the scenarios a little whimsical - Rolf sometimes felt like a character from a dark Wes Anderson film. I sped through the chapters from Lance and Alice. There was so much in Ana's life, I felt the storyline with Alice's grandfather was a little distracting.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
I found some of the scenarios a little whimsical - Rolf sometimes felt like a character from a dark Wes Anderson film. I sped through the chapters from Lance and Alice. There was so much in Ana's life, I felt the storyline with Alice's grandfather was a little distracting.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
November 6, 2023
I'm not sure why I asked for this book, but I'm glad I did. A fascinating portrait of a woman turning 60. You can read my full review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2023/11/0...
November 17, 2023
This book had a lot of controversial topics in it and that was a huge turn off for me. I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to finish it but I tried to keep an open mind. I do love the way that it ended and I was glad that I stuck it out to hear it. However, everything leading up to that was a bit much for me and for that reason I wouldn’t recommend it.
October 6, 2023
Ana Turns takes place over 24 hours - and a lifetime - as the title character gets ready to turn 60. Ana has lived an interesting life, from her 'broken home' childhood to her happy marriage, and sideline long-term affair. Her story is a look back at how she got where she is, and a bit of a look forward to where she may go next. Ana is a very compelling character, but in some ways I learned more about the characters around her than the woman herself. But then, maybe she's still learning who she truly is! I very much enjoyed her story, though there were a lot of people mixed up in it and a couple of the side stories probably weren't really necessary. Especially good novel for woman of a certain age who are continuing the work of coming into their own.
June 4, 2023
4.5 stars - what an excellent novel! Such a modern and fresh take on the classic tale of Mrs. Dalloway, and the incorporation of real world events and references really makes the novel feel at the very cusp of fiction. Ana Turns tells the story of Ana over the 24 hours of her 60th birthday, predominantly from her own perspective but with chapters from her friends and family. The majority of the novel is Ana reflecting on key events in her past and deciding how her future will evolve before her.
Every character in the novel is so multi-faceted, and you really gain a deep understanding of how their past has shaped them. The themes of addiction, culture, death, friendship, guilt, parenthood and forgiveness are handled with such care and incorporated seamlessly in the events of the book. In particular I really enjoyed the depiction of Simon and their coming out story - it is a breath of fresh air to see the 'other' side of coming out. Ana wants to be supportive as possible, but naturally has a lot of questions and hesitations about how to best approach their transition. It does a great job encompassing how our culture and social norms have evolved over the last few decades, and does an excellent job acknowledging the balance between supporting someone's coming out journey while also having concerns about their safety and future. I especially appreciated the author directly acknowledging the lived experiences of trans individuals and conducting her own research while writing the novel - it definitely shows and ensures not only is there representation in the novel, but it is also authentic and included with clear intent.
Ana's life is quite mundane and the experiences that shape her are not too dissimilar from what many people experience. However, I think this is a key reason why the narrative so successfully achieves its goal; it ultimately shows that each of us are built upon our kaleidoscopic pasts and offer such a unique perspective of the world. The idea of sonder is heavily present in this novel, with Ana starting to unpack her relationship with her parents and affair partner in a way she hadn't previously considered. While no character is strictly good or bad, the layers of dimension are so interesting and I had an excellent time reading this. Certainly not the most fast paced or 'exciting' read, but it achieves what it sets out to do and does it very well. This was my first read by Lisa Gornick and I will certainly be diving into some other works by this author after reading this. My only critique is the novel is fairly linear, with an expected ending, and I would have preferred some deeper explorations into some relationships which felt a bit underdeveloped (notably George and Ella).
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Every character in the novel is so multi-faceted, and you really gain a deep understanding of how their past has shaped them. The themes of addiction, culture, death, friendship, guilt, parenthood and forgiveness are handled with such care and incorporated seamlessly in the events of the book. In particular I really enjoyed the depiction of Simon and their coming out story - it is a breath of fresh air to see the 'other' side of coming out. Ana wants to be supportive as possible, but naturally has a lot of questions and hesitations about how to best approach their transition. It does a great job encompassing how our culture and social norms have evolved over the last few decades, and does an excellent job acknowledging the balance between supporting someone's coming out journey while also having concerns about their safety and future. I especially appreciated the author directly acknowledging the lived experiences of trans individuals and conducting her own research while writing the novel - it definitely shows and ensures not only is there representation in the novel, but it is also authentic and included with clear intent.
Ana's life is quite mundane and the experiences that shape her are not too dissimilar from what many people experience. However, I think this is a key reason why the narrative so successfully achieves its goal; it ultimately shows that each of us are built upon our kaleidoscopic pasts and offer such a unique perspective of the world. The idea of sonder is heavily present in this novel, with Ana starting to unpack her relationship with her parents and affair partner in a way she hadn't previously considered. While no character is strictly good or bad, the layers of dimension are so interesting and I had an excellent time reading this. Certainly not the most fast paced or 'exciting' read, but it achieves what it sets out to do and does it very well. This was my first read by Lisa Gornick and I will certainly be diving into some other works by this author after reading this. My only critique is the novel is fairly linear, with an expected ending, and I would have preferred some deeper explorations into some relationships which felt a bit underdeveloped (notably George and Ella).
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2024
maybe 3.5! Mrs Dalloway but maybe trying a little too hard to be Mrs Dalloway? idk, there were parts of this I enjoyed (Ana’s mother’s emails for their absurdity, the shifting perspectives), and then parts that felt a little heavy handed. I get that Ana will have realizations upon turning 60, but she was almost too self aware at times. couldn’t help but compare it to Less a bit with the milestone birthday, and I think I might’ve liked this more had it embraced full ridiculousness OR let Ana be more confused and messy—she’s already doing the messy things, but the writing was too methodical about it to me. who knows! a fun and quick read nonetheless.
May 4, 2023
Simply, this is an exquisite novel. I was so involved that I found it hard to believe it was fiction. The cruel family Ana has constructed is analyzed by her on her 60th birthday. The reader receives an introduction to each of “her people”.
I admit I took longer than usual to read this because I found each relationship so compelling. Ana’s relationship with her cold, jealous and distant mother was touching. The timely revelations about her child will give every reader pause to examine their own feelings in the event of similar revelations.
I love her relationship with her closest female friends. Gornick even gives us closure in the relationship with her youthful buddy. Oh, brother George, continually cruel betrayer, but brother nonetheless who shared a childhood.
Her 60th birthday,by happenstance, is also the day when the structure of her future is formed, not with a bang, but with a whimper.
This is the ultimate novel for reading groups. There is a trove of topics to mine. I think that Ana’s marriage and infidelity will take hours of examination.
Thank you Netgalley for this lovely opportunity to read and review this thoughtful novel.
I admit I took longer than usual to read this because I found each relationship so compelling. Ana’s relationship with her cold, jealous and distant mother was touching. The timely revelations about her child will give every reader pause to examine their own feelings in the event of similar revelations.
I love her relationship with her closest female friends. Gornick even gives us closure in the relationship with her youthful buddy. Oh, brother George, continually cruel betrayer, but brother nonetheless who shared a childhood.
Her 60th birthday,by happenstance, is also the day when the structure of her future is formed, not with a bang, but with a whimper.
This is the ultimate novel for reading groups. There is a trove of topics to mine. I think that Ana’s marriage and infidelity will take hours of examination.
Thank you Netgalley for this lovely opportunity to read and review this thoughtful novel.
June 30, 2023
I read this because I have too many unread e-books and I picked this randomly. At first I was like hmm but then it grew on me and in the end I did quite like it. It’s definitely slow going.
May 30, 2025
“What next? What next in this blink of a life?”
For a story with such an odd structure and driven primarily by characters, I was surprised by how much I was entertained. Most of these characters felt very real and nuanced. A fantastic portrayal into the inherent messiness of being a human.
For a story with such an odd structure and driven primarily by characters, I was surprised by how much I was entertained. Most of these characters felt very real and nuanced. A fantastic portrayal into the inherent messiness of being a human.
January 29, 2024
Wow! So much happens in such a short time in this wild-ride of a story. Many colorful characters are introduced as Ana reflects on her life. Ana shares her a life in a day, a twist on a day in the life. I wonder, perhaps, if too many stories and characters were weaved into this short read. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
October 17, 2023
As Ana turns 60 on her birthday, she is reflecting on her life and how she came to be where and who she is. The story is primarily told by Ana, but there are also sections from the POV of friends and family. Like everyone, Ana is flawed and a product of her life experiences.
I’m always cautious about reading books where a character is 60ish years old. Many authors have opinions on what the average 60 year old woman is about and most of them are way off base. The author here did an excellent job on that front and I find that exceedingly rare. Women in their sixties are still in the workforce, they go to yoga, they have sex and yes, they are still finding out who they are and what they want their future to be like. With the unabashed ageism in our world, it mattered to me that a 60 year old was portrayed accurately. Let’s start thinking Golden Bachelor rather than Golden Girls. Thank you @lisagornickauthor for doing your research to make all of your characters and especially Ana authentic. Ana Turns would be an excellent bookclub read for women over 40 as there are so many timely topics to discuss.
I listened to Ana Turns on audio and Patrea Burchard was a wonderful Ana. Thank you to @dreamscape_media @netgalley and the author for an advance audio copy. I enjoyed Ana turns and found it to be told from a place with humor and heart.
Pub date: November 7, 2023
Pages: 256
August 11, 2023
In "Ana Turns" the characters are so intricate and robust that after finishing the book in one sitting I felt compelled to go back and reread the beginning. Ana's family of origin, her marriage and adult child are filled with nuance, and their conversations are so realistic it sometimes made me cringe. Beautiful writing and insights including this one, "...the kindest act is to see people as they are. To want from others only that which they require to be themselves." I learned a few things about mothering, in particular with Ana and her child but will not write anything further as it would give away the beauty and pain of that relationship. Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. #AnaTurns #NetGalley
January 15, 2025
I wonder if this is my first MRS DALLOWAY re-telling since reading THE HOURS by Michael Cunningham. Not the only surprise about this book!
I also thought it would be a little more insufferable. Kind of humbling to realize how much judgment I inculcate from skimming cover copy. :/ When I read about Ana being a “book doula” in NYC (of course) and cheating on her husband, I figured she was a self-absorbed yuppie. Now, I’m kinda on the fence regarding whether Gornick made her too sympathetic.
Because her original family (mom, dad, brother) kinda suck. At least her dad realizes it in the end. The mom gave me even worse vibes on the page than Ana did in the cover copy. She was awful! It’s like Gornick created a Best Generation prototype of a Boy Mom or something. :P This led the ending…spoilers spoilers…to be relatively unsatisfying. Maybe that was Ana’s fatal character flaw. I was much more on board with the idea of her sharing her generosity with her long-suffering and decent husband instead.
Anywho. In the vein of the original, this novel takes place over one day: Ana’s 60th birthday. I do appreciate the nod to the older female protagonist, too. Also, how her husband, Henry’s, disability was portrayed on the page. And probably my favorite part had to do with Ana’s complex reaction to her child coming out as transgender. Really poignant.
Otherwise, we flitted from character to character in Ana’s life, and I’m confronted with the reality that I might have fallen out of love with stream of consciousness writing. :/ My collegiate self is appalled. I also think the narrative jumps between present and past were a little abrupt. But when we were in the moment, Gornick crafted some beautiful prose around these character sketches. She also touches upon issues such as infidelity, addiction, and the intersection of politics and culture.
There’s actually not a lot of direct Judaism in these pages, though Ana’s father harbors a secret from his past regarding his own father’s Nazi complicity. Also, as is the way of interlocking stories, this past intersects directly with that of Ana’s lover’s wife’s (yup.) It seems maybe a little like overkill, like this woman could dislike Ana enough for having the affair with her husband. But instead, the fact that her Jewish grandfather was turned away from Ana’s Jewish grandfather’s hotel during the War is an extra nail in the coffin. Though within the contours of the story, some literary readers might just go with it. The quality of the writing subsists. But thematically, it feels a little forgettable. (Even the JBC review of this book doesn’t specifically mention any Jewish content, so there you go.)
And in fact, I picked this book up at the Jewish Book Council’s Raid the Shelves event last September! They had multiple copies because the publisher sent it to them, and thank goodness marketers send more than Chasidic or Larry David-style books to Jewish literary organizations. :P But speaking of a personal non-sequitur: I basically made a “RTS Reading Challenge” for myself, and this was book number one. So, the anticipation was high! Final prognosis: I liked it! Shew. :P Not a fave of 2025, but solid writing and character work. Extra kudos for being better than expected, too.
I also thought it would be a little more insufferable. Kind of humbling to realize how much judgment I inculcate from skimming cover copy. :/ When I read about Ana being a “book doula” in NYC (of course) and cheating on her husband, I figured she was a self-absorbed yuppie. Now, I’m kinda on the fence regarding whether Gornick made her too sympathetic.
Because her original family (mom, dad, brother) kinda suck. At least her dad realizes it in the end. The mom gave me even worse vibes on the page than Ana did in the cover copy. She was awful! It’s like Gornick created a Best Generation prototype of a Boy Mom or something. :P This led the ending…spoilers spoilers…to be relatively unsatisfying. Maybe that was Ana’s fatal character flaw. I was much more on board with the idea of her sharing her generosity with her long-suffering and decent husband instead.
Anywho. In the vein of the original, this novel takes place over one day: Ana’s 60th birthday. I do appreciate the nod to the older female protagonist, too. Also, how her husband, Henry’s, disability was portrayed on the page. And probably my favorite part had to do with Ana’s complex reaction to her child coming out as transgender. Really poignant.
Otherwise, we flitted from character to character in Ana’s life, and I’m confronted with the reality that I might have fallen out of love with stream of consciousness writing. :/ My collegiate self is appalled. I also think the narrative jumps between present and past were a little abrupt. But when we were in the moment, Gornick crafted some beautiful prose around these character sketches. She also touches upon issues such as infidelity, addiction, and the intersection of politics and culture.
There’s actually not a lot of direct Judaism in these pages, though Ana’s father harbors a secret from his past regarding his own father’s Nazi complicity. Also, as is the way of interlocking stories, this past intersects directly with that of Ana’s lover’s wife’s (yup.) It seems maybe a little like overkill, like this woman could dislike Ana enough for having the affair with her husband. But instead, the fact that her Jewish grandfather was turned away from Ana’s Jewish grandfather’s hotel during the War is an extra nail in the coffin. Though within the contours of the story, some literary readers might just go with it. The quality of the writing subsists. But thematically, it feels a little forgettable. (Even the JBC review of this book doesn’t specifically mention any Jewish content, so there you go.)
And in fact, I picked this book up at the Jewish Book Council’s Raid the Shelves event last September! They had multiple copies because the publisher sent it to them, and thank goodness marketers send more than Chasidic or Larry David-style books to Jewish literary organizations. :P But speaking of a personal non-sequitur: I basically made a “RTS Reading Challenge” for myself, and this was book number one. So, the anticipation was high! Final prognosis: I liked it! Shew. :P Not a fave of 2025, but solid writing and character work. Extra kudos for being better than expected, too.
May 27, 2023
Ana Turns by Lisa Gornick tells a story that, to some extent, most people will be able to relate to, that of using a birthday to both reflect and look forward. Ana is turning 60 and has quite the cast of characters in her life.
When I started reading this, I was immediately caught up in Ana's voice. It is both open and thoughtful, trying to assess as honestly as one can her own life, both positive and negative. We get the usual rationalizations we all use and we experience everything from insecurity to empowerment. If anything, we probably want her to worry a little less about catering to everyone else and take care of herself, but that will come.
I have a tendency to latch onto ideas when I read and I found some elements of how the characters think thought-provoking. In particular, Fiona and her "truth in lies." First of all, this is not like the right-wing disguising of pure lies as "alternative facts," though like anyone Fiona does pick and choose how and when to apply the idea. What struck me and made me give the broader concept more thought was the sentence after where the "truth in lies" is mentioned. "Honesty is a worthy aim, but as a virtue is inferior to kindness or respect." To way oversimplify my thinking, it shows that taken in isolation any "virtue" is lacking. If one places honesty, in a vacuum, as THE one to uphold, then it is ethical to tell the murderer where his intended victim is hiding. Otherwise, one is lying, which is the most basic form of dishonesty. Context, even when dealing with something we think as positive like honesty, has to be used to temper its application. Same with other virtues. Anyway, I digress.
I've avoided the Dalloway comparisons mainly because they will be mentioned everywhere else and I think this stands on its own and not as a better or worse Dallowayesque novel. I think a reader who enjoys getting a character's life story within the frame of "a day in the life" story will enjoy this. The fact it is a birthday helps bring the various strands together without straining credibility. Having input from these characters really gives the novel more breadth without taking the reader away from the fact it is Ana's story, past and future.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
When I started reading this, I was immediately caught up in Ana's voice. It is both open and thoughtful, trying to assess as honestly as one can her own life, both positive and negative. We get the usual rationalizations we all use and we experience everything from insecurity to empowerment. If anything, we probably want her to worry a little less about catering to everyone else and take care of herself, but that will come.
I have a tendency to latch onto ideas when I read and I found some elements of how the characters think thought-provoking. In particular, Fiona and her "truth in lies." First of all, this is not like the right-wing disguising of pure lies as "alternative facts," though like anyone Fiona does pick and choose how and when to apply the idea. What struck me and made me give the broader concept more thought was the sentence after where the "truth in lies" is mentioned. "Honesty is a worthy aim, but as a virtue is inferior to kindness or respect." To way oversimplify my thinking, it shows that taken in isolation any "virtue" is lacking. If one places honesty, in a vacuum, as THE one to uphold, then it is ethical to tell the murderer where his intended victim is hiding. Otherwise, one is lying, which is the most basic form of dishonesty. Context, even when dealing with something we think as positive like honesty, has to be used to temper its application. Same with other virtues. Anyway, I digress.
I've avoided the Dalloway comparisons mainly because they will be mentioned everywhere else and I think this stands on its own and not as a better or worse Dallowayesque novel. I think a reader who enjoys getting a character's life story within the frame of "a day in the life" story will enjoy this. The fact it is a birthday helps bring the various strands together without straining credibility. Having input from these characters really gives the novel more breadth without taking the reader away from the fact it is Ana's story, past and future.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
November 6, 2023
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC! Ana Turns reads like a gracious scrapbook — each page a new photograph, each memory a new vignette into the lives of each character. Fans of Jenny Jackson's Pineapple Street will adore the compilation of backstories; however, instead of each anecdote being tied together by one common purpose, Ana Turns feels more like an exercise in world building. It's less linear, more in-depth, and every character in the protagonist's orbit seems to do more than just revolve around her and her 60th birthday.
As a lover of Virgina Woolf, the comparisons to Mrs. Dalloway are ample (and even tongue-in-cheek obvious / meta? with the protagonist herself reading Mrs. Dalloway at a cafe), but I do think that their structural differences can otherwise still be appreciated. Ana Turns is a recollection of memories told from different characters leading up to the main event of Ana's birthday — all of which are undeniably interesting and beautifully fleshed out. Plot-wise, this was so creative for such a simple premise. Clearly, Gornick's spotlights on each character allow them to glisten and as a result bring the story to life.
Lastly, I do really want to commend the author for her mentions of Palestine throughout the novel. While the references are succinct and few, each mention of Palestine does not go without relaying the atrocities that have impacted the Palestinian people for decades. It took a few minutes searching the Internet to find that Lisa Gornick is a part of the Jewish Book Council — that is to say, I have nothing but respect and admiration for people (especially writers; especially Jewish writers; especially Jewish writers who have been "hailed by NPR as 'one of the most perceptive, compassionate writers of fiction in America'") who condemn Zionism and use their platform to recognize occupied Palestine and the horrendous violence that continues to plague the people and their land.
As we witness the witch hunt of artists/writers/journalists who publicize their support for Palestine and are punished for their rightful advocacy, I have the utmost respect for Lisa Gornick for including these mentions in her new book. Highly recommend.
As a lover of Virgina Woolf, the comparisons to Mrs. Dalloway are ample (and even tongue-in-cheek obvious / meta? with the protagonist herself reading Mrs. Dalloway at a cafe), but I do think that their structural differences can otherwise still be appreciated. Ana Turns is a recollection of memories told from different characters leading up to the main event of Ana's birthday — all of which are undeniably interesting and beautifully fleshed out. Plot-wise, this was so creative for such a simple premise. Clearly, Gornick's spotlights on each character allow them to glisten and as a result bring the story to life.
Lastly, I do really want to commend the author for her mentions of Palestine throughout the novel. While the references are succinct and few, each mention of Palestine does not go without relaying the atrocities that have impacted the Palestinian people for decades. It took a few minutes searching the Internet to find that Lisa Gornick is a part of the Jewish Book Council — that is to say, I have nothing but respect and admiration for people (especially writers; especially Jewish writers; especially Jewish writers who have been "hailed by NPR as 'one of the most perceptive, compassionate writers of fiction in America'") who condemn Zionism and use their platform to recognize occupied Palestine and the horrendous violence that continues to plague the people and their land.
As we witness the witch hunt of artists/writers/journalists who publicize their support for Palestine and are punished for their rightful advocacy, I have the utmost respect for Lisa Gornick for including these mentions in her new book. Highly recommend.
July 6, 2023
This is a rich and moving meditation. The book takes place during the twenty-four hours of Ana’s sixtieth birthday., We look back on various points in her life from various points of view - her husband, her lover, her family, and then forward toward what the next chapter may bring. A few different novels are mentioned along the way (Ana and her best friend met in an English graduate program, and Fiona has dubbed the work she does now as being a “book therapist”), but the most resonant is ‘Mrs. Dalloway’, which Ana reads throughout the day.
The novel, at its heart, is about family and human connection. What it means to be in a family, to be a parent, to be a child. There are a lot of missed connections here, and failures to reach out. And some lovely examples of the opposite. It’s all expertly, sometimes hilariously presented, with that stab of sadness that makes up the best humor. I recognized a lot, found myself shaking my head up and down and back and forth in equal measure.
I wish I could have read this book faster, maybe even within one day. It’s certainly possible - it’s not a long novel - and I wonder if it may have made the reading experience even more rich. But I really enjoyed it, in any case. It makes me want to re-read Mrs. Dalloway in order to find even more parallels. It is a really beautiful novel.
Thank you so much to Turner Publishing and Keylight Books for sending me an advance copy of this novel.
The novel, at its heart, is about family and human connection. What it means to be in a family, to be a parent, to be a child. There are a lot of missed connections here, and failures to reach out. And some lovely examples of the opposite. It’s all expertly, sometimes hilariously presented, with that stab of sadness that makes up the best humor. I recognized a lot, found myself shaking my head up and down and back and forth in equal measure.
I wish I could have read this book faster, maybe even within one day. It’s certainly possible - it’s not a long novel - and I wonder if it may have made the reading experience even more rich. But I really enjoyed it, in any case. It makes me want to re-read Mrs. Dalloway in order to find even more parallels. It is a really beautiful novel.
Thank you so much to Turner Publishing and Keylight Books for sending me an advance copy of this novel.
October 21, 2023
As Ana goes into her sixtieth birthday, she begins reminiscing about her life, in this contemporary fiction novel. She remembers childhood summers spent with her absent father, coming of age with her best friend LuAnn, the early years of her marriage, and the more recent strained years. She thinks about her mistakes, fears, triumphs... a portrait of a life. Certain chapters are also from the pov's of others in Ana's life, to help flesh out the story.
These kind of serious dramas are not usually my preferred reads, but I did get some enjoyment out of Ana's story. She's pretty insightful, so it was interesting to watch her think through her life. I was fascinated by Ana's job; she's basically a counselor for authors who are struggling with their works. An interesting profession. The social sciences can be used in so many fields. A lot of the relationships were hard to read about though. The high points were her relationship with her child Simon, as well as her relationship with her nieces. Ana's relationships with her mother and with her brother however, were very fraught, and depressing to read. Plus, I really dislike reading about characters who cheat on their partners, and there was quite a bit of that in this novel. I have trouble rooting for cheaters. The novel is well written and feels true to life... just not the most fun to read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
These kind of serious dramas are not usually my preferred reads, but I did get some enjoyment out of Ana's story. She's pretty insightful, so it was interesting to watch her think through her life. I was fascinated by Ana's job; she's basically a counselor for authors who are struggling with their works. An interesting profession. The social sciences can be used in so many fields. A lot of the relationships were hard to read about though. The high points were her relationship with her child Simon, as well as her relationship with her nieces. Ana's relationships with her mother and with her brother however, were very fraught, and depressing to read. Plus, I really dislike reading about characters who cheat on their partners, and there was quite a bit of that in this novel. I have trouble rooting for cheaters. The novel is well written and feels true to life... just not the most fun to read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 30, 2023
3.75⭐️
Nine years have passed since Ana Koehl had sex with her pot-addicted anesthesiologist husband, seven since she began an affair with a gonzo journalist. She’s gratified by her work as a book doula, but burdened by her belief that she need always be on call. Her elderly mother’s birthday greeting is an inflation-adjusted calculation of the cost of raising Ana in a mice-infested house, her brother has hijacked the will of their recently deceased starchitect father, her adult child is changing rapidly before her eyes, and her best friend advocates for “the truth in lies.” Gazing out at the dark moat of Central Park from behind her desk, Ana sees that she can no longer postpone making peace with her past or confronting her present.
Narrated by Ana and the key figures in her life—her husband, her brother, her lover’s wife, to name a few—Ana Turns spirals through issues from capital punishment to the dynamiting of the Bamiyan Buddhas, culminating in a watershed dinner party, with Ana’s family members’ true colors on full display. By day’s end, the bounds of her own collaboration and forgiveness illuminated, Ana turns towards a vision of what she wants next in this blink of a life.
I found my interest repeatedly waxing and waning throughout this meandering narrative, which was more a series of interconnected vignettes than one linear narrative. There was depth and insight to be found, it just felt at times like sifting for those nuggets of gold among the dirt.
Petrea Burchard did a decent job narrating the audiobook.
Thank you Lisa Gornick, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
Nine years have passed since Ana Koehl had sex with her pot-addicted anesthesiologist husband, seven since she began an affair with a gonzo journalist. She’s gratified by her work as a book doula, but burdened by her belief that she need always be on call. Her elderly mother’s birthday greeting is an inflation-adjusted calculation of the cost of raising Ana in a mice-infested house, her brother has hijacked the will of their recently deceased starchitect father, her adult child is changing rapidly before her eyes, and her best friend advocates for “the truth in lies.” Gazing out at the dark moat of Central Park from behind her desk, Ana sees that she can no longer postpone making peace with her past or confronting her present.
Narrated by Ana and the key figures in her life—her husband, her brother, her lover’s wife, to name a few—Ana Turns spirals through issues from capital punishment to the dynamiting of the Bamiyan Buddhas, culminating in a watershed dinner party, with Ana’s family members’ true colors on full display. By day’s end, the bounds of her own collaboration and forgiveness illuminated, Ana turns towards a vision of what she wants next in this blink of a life.
I found my interest repeatedly waxing and waning throughout this meandering narrative, which was more a series of interconnected vignettes than one linear narrative. There was depth and insight to be found, it just felt at times like sifting for those nuggets of gold among the dirt.
Petrea Burchard did a decent job narrating the audiobook.
Thank you Lisa Gornick, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 26, 2024
ANA TURNS was a beautiful, delightful surprise. I went into it knowing nothing except it had good reviews, and was not familiar with the author. I'm so happy I did, because the book is a gorgeous meditation on aging, parenthood, marriages, and tense family relationships. Taking place within one day, Ana's 60th birthday, we hear most of the story from Ana's perspective, but every now and again, we get a chapter from the perspective of someone important to Ana's life.
As we look back over Ana's 60 years, secrets are revealed, history is dug up, and the fact that people don't stop growing and changing once they reach the age of 50 was extremely touching. Some of it is infuriating. I especially couldn't stand Ana's terrible mother who seemed to spent her whole life resenting the fact that Ana was her daughter, and that part was very hard. However, Ana's relationship with her son who is about to start a journey to become a woman, was revealing and handled with card. Overall, this is a simple, beautiful book about life and aging (with a great New York setting). I want to read more from Lisa Gornick now!
As we look back over Ana's 60 years, secrets are revealed, history is dug up, and the fact that people don't stop growing and changing once they reach the age of 50 was extremely touching. Some of it is infuriating. I especially couldn't stand Ana's terrible mother who seemed to spent her whole life resenting the fact that Ana was her daughter, and that part was very hard. However, Ana's relationship with her son who is about to start a journey to become a woman, was revealing and handled with card. Overall, this is a simple, beautiful book about life and aging (with a great New York setting). I want to read more from Lisa Gornick now!
October 22, 2023
Many thanks to NetGalley, Keylight Books, and Dreamscape Media for gifting me an audio ARC of this book by Lisa Gornick and wonderfully narrated by Petrea Burchard - 4.5 stars!
Today Ana turns 60. Her mother's card stated that she had calculated how much it cost to raise Ana ($85,000); her son is going through a transition; her husband is a doctor addicted to pot since an injury; and she's been having a long-time affair with a married journalist. We hear from all the important people in Ana's life on her birthday, filling in her past, as the evening celebration looms.
I loved the fact that this book featured a 60-year-old, still active and still figuring out her life. Ana was consistently let down by her family, but is finally realizing that she has power over her own happiness and path in life. While she may not have made the best choices along the way, she takes responsibility over them. In doing so, she also lets other have responsibility over their lives and choices. It's relatable, funny, poignant, and I loved the ending!
Today Ana turns 60. Her mother's card stated that she had calculated how much it cost to raise Ana ($85,000); her son is going through a transition; her husband is a doctor addicted to pot since an injury; and she's been having a long-time affair with a married journalist. We hear from all the important people in Ana's life on her birthday, filling in her past, as the evening celebration looms.
I loved the fact that this book featured a 60-year-old, still active and still figuring out her life. Ana was consistently let down by her family, but is finally realizing that she has power over her own happiness and path in life. While she may not have made the best choices along the way, she takes responsibility over them. In doing so, she also lets other have responsibility over their lives and choices. It's relatable, funny, poignant, and I loved the ending!
October 14, 2023
3.5 rounded up.
'Ana Turns' by Lisa Gornick was a well told, enjoyable story - a look into a woman's imperfect life amidst imperfect decision.
Ana is turning 60. She's also having an affair and her son, Simon, is going to have a sex-change surgery to become Simona. There's a lot going on.
The story is a composition of smaller stories, told in bits to create a collective whole. Though it's broken up in this way, the many little stories do have a red thread, at least as much as life does. Ana isn't a heroine you necessarily root for (she's in a seven YEAR affair, whaaaaat) but she feels like a real person. Isn't one of the best things about literature that it makes us consider perspectives we wouldn't ordinarily understand? This did that.
For readers at the end of midlife, I think this will be a comforting read. I'm 30 and while I didn't relate much to Ana, I never lost interest.
Thanks, NetGalley and Keylight, for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
'Ana Turns' by Lisa Gornick was a well told, enjoyable story - a look into a woman's imperfect life amidst imperfect decision.
Ana is turning 60. She's also having an affair and her son, Simon, is going to have a sex-change surgery to become Simona. There's a lot going on.
The story is a composition of smaller stories, told in bits to create a collective whole. Though it's broken up in this way, the many little stories do have a red thread, at least as much as life does. Ana isn't a heroine you necessarily root for (she's in a seven YEAR affair, whaaaaat) but she feels like a real person. Isn't one of the best things about literature that it makes us consider perspectives we wouldn't ordinarily understand? This did that.
For readers at the end of midlife, I think this will be a comforting read. I'm 30 and while I didn't relate much to Ana, I never lost interest.
Thanks, NetGalley and Keylight, for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2023
3.5 stars
It’s Ana’s 60th birthday and as we go though the events of the day we also learn about some major events of her life and what has shaped her as a person.
Boy has she had a lot going on, from a absent father, a mother missing any maternal feelings, an insensitive brother, a lost friend and her son identifying as trans there is a lot to unpack in one day.
We follow Ana and those in her life on a multiple point of view journey. Often hearing two sides of a story throughout.
The book was well written and it was interesting to hear how people viewed and coped with different events.
I do wish we had a bit more emotion from Ana, she seemed like such a push over I wanted to just shake her and say “react!” But I think that is just who she is.
I do think the story missed a climax as it seemed to stay on one tear the whole time and when I reached the end I was left feeling we could have had more.
It’s Ana’s 60th birthday and as we go though the events of the day we also learn about some major events of her life and what has shaped her as a person.
Boy has she had a lot going on, from a absent father, a mother missing any maternal feelings, an insensitive brother, a lost friend and her son identifying as trans there is a lot to unpack in one day.
We follow Ana and those in her life on a multiple point of view journey. Often hearing two sides of a story throughout.
The book was well written and it was interesting to hear how people viewed and coped with different events.
I do wish we had a bit more emotion from Ana, she seemed like such a push over I wanted to just shake her and say “react!” But I think that is just who she is.
I do think the story missed a climax as it seemed to stay on one tear the whole time and when I reached the end I was left feeling we could have had more.
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