In 'The New Earth,' a family's pain echoes America's suffering
Jess Row's new novel is about an American family that has imploded, one that's broken, possibly irretrievably. It's a stunning book, a high-wire balancing act that tries to do a lot — and succeeds.
Jess Row's new novel begins with a long, unsent email that's also a poem. It was written by Bering Wilcox to her brother, Patrick, not long before she was killed in the West Bank:
"...We Wilcoxes have never known
what would have sufficed. We wanted too much
and got nothing. I declare, game over. For the
time being. For this lifetime. This marriage of
five unhappy minds... "
Those five unhappy minds are the focus of , Row's novel about an American family that has
