Sarah Manguso makes a splash with strong debut novel
Sarah Manguso has written seven books, but in her eighth, her debut novel, she takes a stab at speculative literary fiction. The genre is a departure from her usual autobiographical nonfiction.
In “Very Cold People,” we follow Ruthie, the only daughter of Italian and Jewish parents, as she comes of age in Waitsfield, Mass., a frigid town full of colonists’ descendants.
At times naive and other times shockingly introspective, observant and sharp, Ruthie is a character you won’t forget. She bears the brunt of her mother’s distaste of her, as well as her father’s anger, and she watches as her friends fall victim to the three fates that await Waitsfield girls: death, pregnancy or insanity.
Written in beautiful prose, her passages can catch you off guard with how honest and relatable they are: “For a while I’d have to suffer, out in the open, the only girl without extra sneakers for gym class, but it was only because my mother’s love was so much greater than all the other loves. It was that much more dangerous, so she had to love me in secret, absolutely unobserved by anyone, especially me.”
Each paragraph is a mini vignette, and when read as a whole cohesive work, they simultaneously offer a slice-oflife and cradle-to-grave narrative.
While the writing style is unique and refreshing, some of the content does not ring true. Although Ruthie’s family did struggle financially and compensated for lack of money with a purchase from a rummage sale, a “warming sweater” to wear in the chilly house, and a bath filled only up to the height of a hand, as described in the very beginning of the novel, Manguso may have a skewed vision of what true poverty is. She also describes Ruthie’s piano lessons, as well as and three different pitchers of juice in the fridge, which does not scream poor, regardless of whether the orange juice was made from frozen concentrate or fresh-squeezed fruit.
While Ruthie is described on the book jacket flap as “awash in shame and feelings of inadequacy” due to her ethnicity, that’s not really detailed in Manguso’s story. The family faces one racist comment on the first page of the book, but that storyline is not developed.
Fans of quick but engaging reads, small towns and quirky characters will love this one.
Both in the literal and metaphorical sense, the town and its residents are indeed “very cold people.” This strong debut novel is one to get your hands on — but you may need mittens.