Book Review of Margot by Wendell Steavenson

 

Name of Book: Margot 

Author: Wendell Steavenson

ISBN: 978-1-324-0284-4

Publisher: W.W. Norton 

Type of book: 1950s-1960s, wealth, blue-blood, roles, expectations, gender roles, sexual revolution, abortion, birth control, science, X genes, studying, college, coming of age, dignity, gentile poverty, death 

Year it was published: 2023

Summary:

It’s the mid-1950s and Margot Thornsen is growing up between a Park Avenue apartment in New York and her family’s sumptuous Oyster Bay estate as the presumed heir to her late grandfather’s steel fortune. Her domineering mother has charted a course for her—to forego education and marry well—but Margot is more interested in microscopes and beetles and books. When a devastating fire brings the family legacy crashing down and the sexual revolution dawns, a new path opens up—the expansive world of late-1960s Radcliffe College and the intellectual, cultural, and sexual freedom Margot has been reaching for.

Hailed for her “intelligent and heartfelt fiction” (Kirkus Reviews), Wendell Steavenson writes with grace, precision, and great psychological perception. With Margot, she has crafted a vivid portrayal of the quiet torment of young women of its era, a comically caustic mother-daughter story, and a memorable evocation of one woman’s passion for the wonder of science.

Characters:

Main character is Margot, who descends from a blue-blooded family, the only daughter and an acknowledged heiress of Peggy Vanderloep Thornsen, who happens to be a daughter of a railroad magnate. Margot's family is complex,  and one where secrets shape the whispers that surround her about a missing aunt and possible cousins. Margot reads a lot, much to her mother's consternation and is introverted and fascinated more by science than by comport and expectations, although she tries her hardest to satisfy her mother. As years pass and Margot grows up, she begins to attend college where at long last she doesn't feel vilified for being herself. There are plenty of secondary characters such as Margot's mother who has her own reasons and secrets for being afraid for her daughter as well as Margot's love interests and friends who support or in some cases, unfortunately take advantage of her. 

Theme:

There are plenty of themes one could pull out: maybe of expectations and life, or of the roles both for gender and religion (there wasn't much focus on racism) or of complex relationships between mothers and daughters? 

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative from Margot's point of view, and it takes place from early 1950s up to late 1960s and covers the time Margot was a young girl of eight up until late twenties. The tale is definitely nuanced and the author doesn't focus too much on any topic, letting actions speak for themselves, which definitely creates an addictive story as the reader watches Margot blossom and navigate various relationships. I also should mention there is discussion of abortion and of birth control as well as the power of X genes. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

Wendell Steavenson is an Anglo-American journalist and author, having reported mostly from the Middle East and the Caucasus as a regular contributor for publications such as Guardian, Prospect magazine, Slate, Granta and others. After publishing three non-fiction books, "Paris Metro" is her first novel.

Opinion:

It seems correct to start the New Year with a bang, a five star review of a book I finished few months ago, and MARGOT definitely deserves such a high rating, for there are many things that I loved about the book: up until now, perhaps, its exceedingly rare for me to discover  book where a woman is fascinated by science and dared to work in a field that is beset by men. It's also rare to discover a woman who happens to be an introvert, which is another bonus in my opinion, and who is written extremely realistically, as if its someone I met and know. I also loved the complex mother/daughter relationship as well as how realistically the novel felt in presenting the nuance of the blue blood and noveau rich. Perhaps its easy to say that there is a little of something for everyone in the novel, be it history of 1950s through 1960s, the complex family and the secrets they dare to keep, a coming of age tale about a young woman who sees herself a little too negatively as well as learning about the complexity of genes and mutations and the view of those who don't fit the mold, and the complex relationships as Margot grows and learns about herself. While historical, it also feels incredibly contemporary which really adds the beauty to the tale. Definitely will be on my top list for best book for 2023. 

This was given for review

5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)