Shelter in Place by David Leavitt (The Two Hotel Francforts) delivers a cutting view of elite white angst after the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump. Eva and Bruce Lindquist--"affluent New York liberals, not old money but not new money, either"--are hosting a dinner in their Manhattan apartment. Their guests are shocked at the election results, certainly, but Eva is beyond consolation, and attending the Women's March after inauguration isn't the solution she has in mind. "I've been thinking about it all day," she tells the group. "Where in the world is there a place where I won't even hear an echo of that cheering? And then I hit on it. Venice."
Eva's entitlement is, of course, a shield. Alec, the friend who acts as her foil, scoffs. "Does she honestly believe... that on a day-to-day basis it'll make even an iota of difference to her life?" Her friends, who (unlike her) have jobs and other concerns, are "letting Eva have our hysterics for us." There are subtle ironies, as when it's revealed Eva didn't even vote in the election she now cares so deeply about. Bruce, Eva's long-suffering husband, has been content to stay in her shadow but finds, unexpectedly, another woman with whom his own emotions take center stage.
Leavitt, using sharp social observations softened by humor, underscores the often well-meaning but impotent actions of the moneyed class. Readers looking for a contemporary plot, colorful characters and sly wit will enjoy this topical novel. --Cindy Pauldine, bookseller, the river's end bookstore, Oswego, N.Y.