A horrific murder marks the start of May We Be Forgiven, A.M. Homes's novel of family life in post-9/11 New York suburbia. Yet, despite this jarring beginning and assorted subsequent traumas, including pedophilia and medical emergencies, this novel is strangely upbeat. Narrated by history professor Harold Silver, May We Be Forgiven never seems to take itself too seriously.
Living in a sleepy Westchester suburb and teaching apathetic college students, Harold is plagued with fantasies he can barely admit to himself. Harold's one decisive act in an otherwise aimless existence--to allow his brother George's wife, Jane, to seduce him--leads to gruesome tragedy and the dramatic reconfiguring of his life. George ends up behind bars for murder, Harold's wife divorces him, and Harold finds himself the guardian of George's two preteen children.
A high-flying, psychopathic TV executive, George bullied Harold throughout their childhood and manages to continue terrorizing him even from jail. Confronting the wreckage of his life, Harold comes to realize that just as understanding the history of America--in the form of Richard Nixon, one of its most provocative figures--is critical to understanding the contemporary nation, Harold's own personal history is integral to who he has become. But Harold also dares to hope that history does not have to be destiny, that there is still a chance for him to somehow emerge from George's shadow.
Despite its serious subject matter, the dialogue in May We Be Forgiven consists of snappy comebacks reminiscent of Seinfeld and Woody Allen movies. In the Westchester of A.M. Homes, irony is the pervasive flavor--but ultimately even this is overridden by the importance of family and relationships in a time of anxiety. --Ilana Teitelbaum, book reviewer at the Huffington Post