The Sorrows of an American: A Novel

by: Siri Hustvedt

Published by: Picador

Reviewed by Knevits Stephens

Eric and his sister Inga return to their hometown to go through their father’s papers. Their dad Lars has died recently. They come across a letter from someone named Lisa. The letter leads to the conclusion that their father was involved in a death. Throughout the book, the siblings contact people trying to figure out who this Lisa girl is and what actually happened.

Eric, a New York psychiatrist, is a narrator. He is lonely, divorced with no children. He starts reading his dad’s diary that he brought home with him. He gets really into reading it as well as becoming infatuated with Miranda, the woman who lives downstairs. Miranda is Jamaican and has her daughter living with her.

Inga is a writer who is recently widowed. She is dealing with her husband’s past personal secrets. He lived a whole other life that she had no idea about. While dealing with all of these problems, she also has to find a way to help her daughter who is still frightened by what she saw on September 11.

While Eric and Inga are dealing with what is going on in their lives, at the same time they are trying to find this Lisa girl. As all the mysteries unfold, they discover more about their father, and they also learn of poverty, the depression, and war.

I found this book very interesting. I loved reading about the history such as the depression, poverty and diseases from way back when. The only problem I had was that at moments I didn’t know who was talking about whom–and what was reality or a dream. I thought there was too much talk of medicine, psychiatric things and September 11th. I think too many books talk about September 11th, but again that is my personal opinion.

Armchair Interviews says: An interesting read.