Monogamy

A Novel

By: Sue Miller

Narrated by: Sue Miller

“A sensual and perceptive novel. . . . With humor and humanity, Miller resists the simple scorned-wife story and instead crafts a revelatory tale of the complexities—and the absurdities—of love, infidelity, and grief.” —O, the Oprah Magazine

A brilliantly insightful novel, engrossing and haunting, about marriage, love, family, happiness and sorrow, from New York Times bestselling author Sue Miller.

Graham and Annie have been married for nearly thirty years. Their seemingly effortless devotion has long been the envy of their circle of friends and acquaintances. By all appearances, they are a golden couple.

Graham is a bookseller, a big, gregarious man with large appetites—curious, eager to please, a lover of life, and the convivial host of frequent, lively parties at his and Annie’s comfortable house in Cambridge. Annie, more reserved and introspective, is a photographer. She is about to have her first gallery show after a six-year lull and is worried that the best years of her career may be behind her. They have two adult children; Lucas, Graham’s son with his first wife, Frieda, works in New York. Annie and Graham’s daughter, Sarah, lives in San Francisco. Though Frieda is an integral part of this far-flung, loving family, Annie feels confident in the knowledge that she is Graham’s last and greatest love.

When Graham suddenly dies—this man whose enormous presence has seemed to dominate their lives together—Annie is lost. What is the point of going on, she wonders, without him?

Then, while she is still mourning Graham intensely, she discovers a ruinous secret, one that will spiral her into darkness and force her to question whether she ever truly knew the man who loved her.

A touching meditation on marriage and mourning

The book focuses on Annie’s retrospective processing of her marriage, including her husband’s infidelity, following his death. Miller’s characters are fully realized, complex, and complicated. Annie’s introspective journey is beautifully described and totally relatable. This is not a plot-driven tale but rather a quiet meditation on marriage and mourning.

Amazingly human

This book is beautifully written. It is a testament to what it is to be human and in relationship with others. Highly recommend!

Beautiful

I enjoyed the story and related to her feelings more times than I prefer. A must read.

Wonderfully human story perfectly told

This is one of those contemplative books that make you slow down and notice the big things in the small. I felt a part of their lives. The narrator was perfect!

It was putdownable

The reviews talked me into buying the audible option. But…four chapters in, I just had to quit. This may be one of those stories that eventually makes sense, but I lost all desire to find out.