A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore follows Tassie Keltjin, a college student who takes on a job as a part-time nanny for a family that has adopted a bi-racial child. The book explores themes of coming of age, loss, carelessness, and the complexities of relationships. The narrative delves into Tassie's experiences with the family she works for, her own family dynamics, and her personal struggles, all set against the backdrop of post-9/11 America. Moore's writing style is described as witty, astute, and poignant, with characters who are both intriguing and flawed.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for A Gate at the Stairs include themes related to racism, loss of a loved one, adoption challenges, and mental health issues.
Has Romance?
There is a medium level of romance present in the narrative, primarily explored through the protagonist's experiences with first love and relationships.
From The Publisher:
With America quietly gearing up for war in the Middle East, twenty-year-old Tassie Keltjin, a 'half-Jewish' farmer's daughter from the plains of the Midwest, has come to university - escaping her provincial home to encounter the complex world of culture and politics.When she takes a job as a part-time nanny to a couple who seem at once mysterious and glamorous, Tassie is drawn into the life of their newly-adopted child and increasingly complicated household. As her past becomes increasingly alien to her - her parents seem older when she visits; her disillusioned brother ever more fixed on joining the military - Tassie finds herself becoming a stranger to herself. As the year unfolds, love leads her to new and formative experiences - but it is then that the past and the future burst forth in dramatic and shocking ways.Refracted through the eyes of this memorable narrator, A Gate at the Stairs is a lyrical, beguiling and wise novel of our times.
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A Gate at the Stairs?
About the Author:
Lorrie Moore, after serving for almost three decades as the Delmore Schwartz Professor in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been named the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English at Vanderbilt University. Moore has received numerous grants and awards, from among others: the Lannan Foundation, the National Books Critics Circle, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her most recent novel, A Gate at the Stairs, was shortlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize.
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