Our Better Natures
Our Better Natures follows the experiences of three woman against the backdrop of early 1970s America, examining ideas about feminism, poetry, the repressive political system, and the continuing impact of the Vietnam War. Phyllis is a grandmother, living in the rural Midwest, who is forced to adjust by the unexpected arrival home of her son (who had been drafted into the US military), his Korean wife and their two children. Andrea, living in the Netherlands, has escaped an abusive marriage and sneaks into a university debate between Michel Foucault and Noam Chomsky, which helps to crystallise her thoughts and opinions before returning to the USA. Muriel is a New York poet, journalist and activist who is battling ill health to continue her work – part of which is to secure the release of an imprisoned South Korean poet.
The characters in Our Better Natures (with the exception of Phyllis’s strand) are based on public figures in the 1970s protest movement: Andrea Dworkin, Muriel Rukeyser and their contemporaries. As a result, this novel is philosophical in nature, especially in the ‘Andrea’ sections. It is beautifully written, with precise, evocative language. The quiet plot gradually unfolds, as the tenuous links between the three strands become apparent to the reader. Each of the viewpoint characters are fully realised, with rich interiority and distinct voices which pull the reader into the minutiae of their lives. The burgeoning relationship between Phyllis and her granddaughter Soozie is particularly moving. A recommended, thought provoking read.
