Mass Mothering

Bruni (The Night Gwen Stacy Died) explores themes of motherhood, translation, and political displacement in her engrossing latest. At the heart of the novel is a work of journalism and oral history called Field Notes by late author Tomas Petritus, about the forced disappearances of young men and boys in Petritus’s unnamed home country. Bruni alternates chapters from Field Notes, translated by her narrator, A., with A.’s own story as a 33-year-old nanny recovering from her cancer-related hysterectomy and grappling with the fact that she won’t be able to have children. She finds solace with a new friend, N., a native speaker of Petritus’s unspecified language, who shares his copy of Field Notes with her. A. is fascinated with Petritus’s depiction of the mothers of the disappeared: when a boy goes missing, the mothers follow a ritual, gathering “to embrace, recite prayers, throw rocks,” and “take turns mothering whoever is at her weakest.” Determined to learn more, she earns a grant to visit the late Petritus’s country and translate the book into English. By not specifying where Petritus is from, Bruni allows the reader to imagine the disappearances could have happened anywhere. It’s a smart move, as it focuses the reader’s attention on the novel’s thematic connections and resonance in the real world. Layered and moving, this one hits with startling force. (Feb.)