Robert Hellenga (1941–2020)

Set in Florence after the Arno flood of 1966, this is the story of Margot Harrington, 29-year-old American book conservator, who travels to Italy to volunteer in the restoration of books damaged in the flood. Margot has experienced a number of disappointments, and she hopes Florence will help set a positive course for her future. She has trouble finding a place to stay and is directed to a Carmelite convent. The nuns discover a rare Renaissance manuscript of sixteen erotic poems and drawings. The abbess asks Margot to get involved in selling the manuscript to raise funds to save the convent’s beloved library. Margot meets and falls in love with the married cousin of the abbess, Dottor Alessandro Postiglione, an art restorer. The storyline revolves around Margot’s journey of self-discovery.

There are many interwoven threads in this novel, which are addressed in lengthy detailed passages, such as techniques of book and art restoration, reflections on convent life, and the methods by which a canonical court decides whether to grant an annulment. At the same time, we follow Margot’s initial thoughts of joining a convent, then veering into a sexual relationship with Alessandro. We learn about her family’s history.

I enjoyed very much the manner in which Margot (eventually) resists being controlled by men who want to take advantage of her and get their hands on the manuscript. My favorite parts were the descriptions of life in the convent. I was less enamored of the sexual relationship with a much older man. Hellenga’s writing is elegant and witty. It is a novel of devotion to craft, passion, and the fortitude to change one’s life for the better.
… (mere)

While traveling in Italy in 1980, the twenty-two-year-old eldest daughter of the Woodhull family is killed in a terrorist attack. Her parents live in rural Illinois. Her father,“Woody” Woodhull, is a college professor whose life goes off the rails in the aftermath of the tragedy. Her mother has a breakdown and joins a convent. The book is told in alternating perspectives of Woody and middle daughter, Sarah.

I liked the writing style and Sarah’s chapters. The narrative related to a family divided by grief is heartbreaking. Woody’s chapters are too disturbing for my taste (horrific injuries from a terrorist attack, an affair between a professor and student, and many graphic sex scenes). I have enjoyed other novels by this author, but this one is not for me.… (mere)

This book follows the life of protagonist Gabe Johnson. Written in first person from Gabe’s perspective we learn about his family’s business selling books, with an emphasis on rare books. His grandfather started the business in Chicago. The storyline revolves around the major episodes in Gabe’s life – his coming of age, education, and becoming an integral part of his family’s book business. His mother deserts the family. He falls in love and gets hurt. He examines what is entailed in leading a meaningful life.

“I’d learned enough about happiness to know that you can’t aim at it directly. You have to sight off to one side. But what are you supposed to aim at in the first place, before you sight off to one side?”

It is an ode to the love of books, and there are plenty of literary references sprinkled throughout.
It is quiet, reflective, and philosophical. It details the decline of the traditional brick and mortar bookstore, as well as the rise of online bookselling. Simultaneously, it relates fifty years of Gabe’s life. Though it is fiction, it has the feel of a memoir. The writing is elegant and descriptive.

This is a book about life. It provides a great deal of food for thought, particularly about the choices we make, and their short-and-long-term consequences. This is my first book by Robert Hellenga, and I can see why he was nominated as one of our group’s favorite authors. I enjoyed it very much and plan to read more of his work.
… (mere)