Milo And Honor
Jane Mendelsohn's evocative novel "American Music" (2010) is a story of American loves, American dreams and American music, as exemplified by the saxophone, the cymbals, Count Basie, and Billie Holiday. The short book becomes far-flung in time and place, but the primary setting is New York City in 2004-2005 in the midst of the Iraq War. The primary characters are Milo, 25, who has received a severe spinal wound while on military service in Iraq, and Honor, 21, a dancer and a physical therapist. Milo is in a New York City veteran's hospital where his injury is not responding well to treatment. The hospital hires Honor to work with Milo's back once a week. The therapy proceeds for about one year as the two gradually fall in love. The book is recounted from a variety of perspectives and in many different voices, as befitting the yarn-like character of the story.
Milo suffers from deep emotional traumatization as well as from spinal injury. At first he resists Honor's therapy. Then, when Honor is massaging and rubbing his back, arms, and hands, Milo begins to tell lengthy, involved stories that get embellished as time goes on. Honor too begins to tell stories, as she and Milo connect emotionally.
The primary story that Milo tells involves a young man, Joe, who is studying law while working as a saxophonist in a swing band in the 1930's. For Joe, music is is first love, and he will become a reluctant lawyer. Joe is married to Pearl, a lovely, faithful woman who has suffered several miscarriages. When Joe meets Pearl's educated and artistic distant cousin Vivian, Joe and Vivian begin a romance. The triangle gradually plays itself out as Milo develops his story.
Further embellishments carry the tale back to 17th Century Istanbul, where an alchemist is shown to perfect the making of cymbals that will later have a strong place in the development of American swing. Another strand of the tale involves a gifted woman photographer whose photos are mysteriously stolen from her apartment after she has been scheduled for a show at a major New York museum. Still more, Milo tells the story of an Army physician, and his estranged wife. During the Vietnam era, the physician is court-martialled for alleged conduct unbecoming an officer.
The strength of the book lies in the lyrical character of Mendelshon's writing, which often adopts itself in rhythm and language to her varied stories and people. At its best, her writing has a shimmering and musical quality. Mendelsohn develops scenes and characters poignantly and in detail. The weakness of the book lies in its miniaturism. In spite of the author's efforts, the stories to not pull together convincingly, and they do not fully connect to the relationship between Milo and Honor. The stories often take the focus away from these characters. There is a sense of disjointedness when the different stories and flashbacks are introduced, and thee stories and flashbacks don't entirely tie-in with the story of Milo and Honor. The sense of mystery and passion the book often conveys thus in places deteriorates into confusion.
The book offers a picture of American romance and hope against backgrounds of loss and tragedy. It emphasizes the power of music to the American heart. Although marred by diffuseness and top-heaviness, "American Music" offers a lyrical, emotionally bittersweet portrayal of American dreams.
Robin Friedman
