The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano
A Novel
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3.6 • 29 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A deeply moving novel about a woman who thought she never wanted to be a mother—and the many ways that life can surprise us
“An ode to possibility” — The Washington Post
Rose Napolitano is fighting with her husband, Luke, about prenatal vitamins. She promised she'd take them, but didn't. He promised before they got married that he'd never want children, but now he's changed his mind. Their marriage has come to rest on this one question: Can Rose find it in herself to become a mother? Rose is a successful professor and academic. She's never wanted to have a child. The fight ends, and with it their marriage.
But then, Rose has a fight with Luke about the vitamins--again. This time the fight goes slightly differently, and so does Rose's future as she grapples with whether she can indeed give up the one thing she thought she knew about herself. Can she reimagine her life in a completely new way? That reimagining plays out again and again in each of Rose's nine lives, just as it does for each of us as we grow into adulthood. What are the consequences of our biggest choices? How would life change if we let go of our preconceived ideas of ourselves and became someone completely new? Rose Napolitano's experience of choosing and then choosing again shows us in an utterly compelling way what it means, literally, to reinvent a life and, sometimes, become a different kind of woman than we ever imagined.
A stunning novel about love, loss, betrayal, divorce, death, a woman's career and her identity, The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano is about finding one's way into a future that wasn't the future one planned, and the ways that fate intercedes when we least expect it.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
YA novelist Freitas's stunning adult fiction debut (after her memoir Consent) spins nine alternating story lines about a husband and wife who initially didn't want children but, at various points, change their minds. Each "Take," as they're titled, begins the same way, with sociology professor Rose Napolitano confronted by her husband for neglecting to take her prenatal vitamins. Rose has been humoring Luke, who began pressuring Rose about having children after much prodding from his parents, who won't believe they don't want kids and aren't shy about letting them know it. From there, various consequences play out in each of the nine stories, which extend from the present to 2025. In one, Rose gives in and they have a baby. In others, Rose or Luke leaves for various reasons. The fact that Luke and Rose aren't right for each other remains consistent throughout, and becomes especially in evident Luke's controlling treatment of Rose while leading their effort to have a child. Certain variables manifest in different ways, such as how Rose meets her lover, Thomas—at work, at a book signing, or during her mother's chemo sessions—and how Thomas came to have a daughter. Freitas's prose is engaging and precise, and her what-if format proves ideal for elegantly unpacking the tensions of the plot. She balances tightly written scenes of confrontation with Rose's poignant reflections on how much she can compromise without losing herself completely. This isn't one to miss.
