A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

This is a tough review to write, because (like Liberated Bride) there were a lot of things about the book I liked but some fundamental flaws I am not sure I can get over.

The story is about a young woman named Tassie from a rural town who is attending a liberal college in the Midwest.  Looking to make some money, Tassie is hired by a couple (Sarah and Edward) to be the nanny for their not-yet-adopted baby.   Sarah and Edward (and Tassie) are white and the baby is mixed-race, mostly black. The first half of the book is mostly about her interactions with the family - who are not exactly who she thinks they are - and her bonding with the child.  I really enjoyed this section of the book because it was well-balanced between plot, characters, and internal monologue.  Sarah is quite a well-developed character and Tassie's inner monologue reminds me of myself in college - a weird combination of precocious, bright, cynical, and naive.

Then the book take a weird turn.  Something happens with Sarah and Edward, then also with Tassie and her boyfriend, and so she goes home to her parents.  Life at home, always stoic and bucolic, suddenly becomes uncertain and scary.  The remainder of the book takes a completely different trajectory, with dense descriptions of her home and farm and what feels like a different narrator.  I was so disappointed at this part of the book!  I felt really invested in the story of Tassie's interactions with Sarah and Edward, and then let down by the lack of closure.

What I've left out of this description (other than plot spoliers) is that there are several post-9/11 themes within the book.  I can only guess that Moore wanted to make some political statements through this book and that threw her off course.  I would have really enjoyed reading a book about Tassie's interaction with Sarah and Edward and the baby.  These other parts took a coherent story and engaging plot and made it a disjointed book.