Luster by Raven Leilani

I read a review of this book that described it as brutal and beautiful, a millenial novel. I read it because it was on Obama's 2020 reading list, and I have to say I was a little surprised. It is just a bit sassy and more casual than is his usual fiction fare, but maybe he is breaking out of that mold. The thing that fits is that there is a black woman navigating a white world. Edie is at the center of the novel. She has a job that seems temporary that she eventually losesm and by the time that happens, she has had some sort of relationship with many around her. Her latest relationship is with a married man who is embarking on an open marriage with his spouse. There is no romance and the tension, which you could see that coming, but it turns out to be different from what you would expect. Edie is the sort of flawed female character I rarely see. There’s familiarity in her messiness: her attempts to fill the void with sexual attention, her devaluing and debasing herself and her body. She is honest and unsparing in her assessment of herself and others. It is well worth checking out--even though I did not love it, I liked it and I was surprised by it.