Banshee

DeWoskin (Blind) tackles the psychological effects of a life-changing diagnosis in her slow-burning, satisfying fifth novel. Samantha Baxter is a graduate professor of poetry who finds out she has breast cancer that requires immediate operation. Deeply affected by the news, Sam spends the time leading up to her surgery in a fit of existential self-doubt and rebellion, causing her husband, coworkers, and 19-year-old daughter to question her sanity. Almost immediately following the news, Sam begins to sleep with one of her students, a sprightly 24-year-old named Leah who makes her feel exhilarated. Though the affair creates a deep rift between Sam and her husband, Sam pursues it hungrily, leaning into the relationship as a means to distract herself from her mounting panic. Quickly, however, Sam unravels and becomes prone to outbursts during work and other self-destructive behavior. Her fear surrounding her cancer takes a life of its own, leaving the reader to wonder whether things will ever be the same after the operation. Intensely introspective and poetic, DeWoskin’s work traps readers inside the claustrophobic mind of her protagonist and turns up the heat. (June)