We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

Monogamy: A Novel
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)

Book Cover
Average Rating
5 star
 
(2)
4 star
 
(4)
3 star
 
(1)
2 star
 
(1)
1 star
 
(0)
Published:
HarperCollins 2020
Status:
Checked Out
Description

A New York Times Notable Book NPR Best Book of the Year People magazine Top Ten Books of the Year • BookPage Best Book of the Year • Good Housekeeping Best Book of the Year

"A sensual and perceptive novel. . . . With humor and humanity, Miller resists the simple scorned-wife story and instead crafts a revelatory tale of the complexities—and the absurdities—of love, infidelity, and grief." —O, the Oprah Magazine

A brilliantly insightful novel, engrossing and haunting, about marriage, love, family, happiness and sorrow, from New York Times bestselling author Sue Miller.

Graham and Annie have been married for nearly thirty years. Their seemingly effortless devotion has long been the envy of their circle of friends and acquaintances. By all appearances, they are a golden couple.

Graham is a bookseller, a big, gregarious man with large appetites—curious, eager to please, a lover of life, and the convivial host of frequent, lively parties at his and Annie's comfortable house in Cambridge. Annie, more reserved and introspective, is a photographer. She is about to have her first gallery show after a six-year lull and is worried that the best years of her career may be behind her. They have two adult children; Lucas, Graham's son with his first wife, Frieda, works in New York. Annie and Graham's daughter, Sarah, lives in San Francisco. Though Frieda is an integral part of this far-flung, loving family, Annie feels confident in the knowledge that she is Graham's last and greatest love.

When Graham suddenly dies—this man whose enormous presence has seemed to dominate their lives together—Annie is lost. What is the point of going on, she wonders, without him?

Then, while she is still mourning Graham intensely, she discovers a ruinous secret, one that will spiral her into darkness and force her to question whether she ever truly knew the man who loved her.

Also in This Series
Formats
Adobe EPUB eBook
Works on all eReaders (except Kindles), desktop computers and mobile devices with reading apps installed.
Kindle Book
Works on Kindles and devices with a Kindle app installed.
OverDrive Read
Need Help?
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
More Like This
Other Editions and Formats
More Copies In LINK+
Loading LINK+ Copies...
More Details
Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
09/08/2020
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780062969675
ASIN:
B082T39WSM
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Sue Miller. (2020). Monogamy: A Novel. HarperCollins.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Sue Miller. 2020. Monogamy: A Novel. HarperCollins.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Sue Miller, Monogamy: A Novel. HarperCollins, 2020.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Sue Miller. Monogamy: A Novel. HarperCollins, 2020.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
LibraryOwnedAvailable
Shared Digital Collection10
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
eeee5150-c046-a994-00ac-99e293a840fa
Go To Grouped Work
Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
Sep 04, 2020 15:08:18
Date Updated:
Nov 07, 2022 20:45:46
Last Metadata Check:
Mar 24, 2024 14:16:58
Last Metadata Change:
Mar 10, 2024 14:21:10
Last Availability Check:
Mar 24, 2024 14:17:02
Last Availability Change:
Jul 25, 2022 04:59:33
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
Mar 28, 2024 19:06:17

OverDrive Product Record

images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0293-1/{4DC68B44-863E-42F9-91B2-063AD21C8E7B}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0293-1/{4DC68B44-863E-42F9-91B2-063AD21C8E7B}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0293-1/4DC/68B/44/{4DC68B44-863E-42F9-91B2-063AD21C8E7B}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0293-1/4DC/68B/44/{4DC68B44-863E-42F9-91B2-063AD21C8E7B}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
formats
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780062969675
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B082T39WSM
      • name: Kindle Book
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780062969675
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • id: ebook-overdrive
mediaType
eBook
primaryCreator
    • role: Author
    • name: Sue Miller
title
Monogamy
dateAdded
2020-09-15T18:37:30.473Z
contentDetails
      • href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=569&titleID=5167665
      • type: text/html
      • account:
          • name: NorthNet Library System (CA)
          • id: 2323
sortTitle
Monogamy A Novel
crossRefId
5167665
subtitle
A Novel
id
4DC68B44-863E-42F9-91B2-063AD21C8E7B
starRating
3.4

OverDrive MetaData

isPublicDomain
False
formats
      • fileName: Monogamy_9780062969675_5167665
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 1884468
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780062969675
      • rights:
            • type: Copying
            • value: 0
            • type: Printing
            • value: 0
            • type: Lending
            • value: 0
            • type: ReadAloud
            • value: 1
            • type: ExpirationRights
            • value: 0
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • onSaleDate: 9/8/2020
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=4dc68b44-863e-42f9-91b2-063ad21c8e7b&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: Monogamy_5167665
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B082T39WSM
      • name: Kindle Book
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • onSaleDate: 9/8/2020
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=4dc68b44-863e-42f9-91b2-063ad21c8e7b&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: Monogamy_9780062969675_5167665
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780062969675
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-overdrive
      • onSaleDate: 9/8/2020
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=4dc68b44-863e-42f9-91b2-063ad21c8e7b&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
creators
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Miller, Sue
      • bioText:

        Sue Miller is the bestselling author of While I Was Gone, The Distinguished Guest, For Love, Family Pictures, Inventing the Abbotts, and The Good Mother. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

      • name: Sue Miller
imprint
Harper Audio
publishDate
2020-09-08T00:00:00-04:00
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
Monogamy
fullDescription

A New York Times Notable Book NPR Best Book of the Year People magazine Top Ten Books of the Year • BookPage Best Book of the Year • Good Housekeeping Best Book of the Year

"A sensual and perceptive novel. . . . With humor and humanity, Miller resists the simple scorned-wife story and instead crafts a revelatory tale of the complexities—and the absurdities—of love, infidelity, and grief." —O, the Oprah Magazine

A brilliantly insightful novel, engrossing and haunting, about marriage, love, family, happiness and sorrow, from New York Times bestselling author Sue Miller.

Graham and Annie have been married for nearly thirty years. Their seemingly effortless devotion has long been the envy of their circle of friends and acquaintances. By all appearances, they are a golden couple.

Graham is a bookseller, a big, gregarious man with large appetites—curious, eager to please, a lover of life, and the convivial host of frequent, lively parties at his and Annie's comfortable house in Cambridge. Annie, more reserved and introspective, is a photographer. She is about to have her first gallery show after a six-year lull and is worried that the best years of her career may be behind her. They have two adult children; Lucas, Graham's son with his first wife, Frieda, works in New York. Annie and Graham's daughter, Sarah, lives in San Francisco. Though Frieda is an integral part of this far-flung, loving family, Annie feels confident in the knowledge that she is Graham's last and greatest love.

When Graham suddenly dies—this man whose enormous presence has seemed to dominate their lives together—Annie is lost. What is the point of going on, she wonders, without him?

Then, while she is still mourning Graham intensely, she discovers a ruinous secret, one that will spiral her into darkness and force her to question whether she ever truly knew the man who loved her.

reviews
      • premium: False
      • source: Richard Russo, New York Times Book Review
      • content:

        "Monogamy is an old-fashioned, slow burn of a novel that allows readers to dream deeply. . . full of depth and contrast and lush detail." — Richard Russo, New York Times Book Review

        "A well-woven book about sexual attraction, family dynamics and the mess they make together. . . . Everyone in this novel hungers for love and loyalty, but no one truly achieves it. And yet after myriad struggles and revelations, those with the most attentive, loving hearts find peace." — Minneapolis Star Tribune

        "The shifting perspectives in the narrative . . . demonstrate how dependent truth is on what is shown to us. Sue Miller's skillfulness at doing so makes a familiar plot into an original story that reflects the real-life complexity of long relationships. Monogamy demonstrates that Miller remains one of the finest cartographers of the territory of marriage."
        Washington Post

        "Miller is one of our most emotionally profound and nuanced writers. . . . The deeper I got into Monogamy, the more it made me think of James Joyce's 'The Dead,' about a man whose sense of his marriage is radically changed by one fateful moment. Both narratives end on a snow-silenced night haunted by ghosts — ghosts who are out of reach, but still, maddeningly, messing with the living." — Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air

        "What makes a good marriage? . . . .The book's title isn't the full answer for the couple in this emotionally perceptive novel. . . . The key to a happy marriage, Miller's moving story suggests, lies in just this: two people opening themselves up to one another – like inviting books." — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor

        "In an absorbing and meticulously crafted page-turner...Miller depicts both her characters and their Cambridge environs with such tenderness and precision that many readers will feel regret when Miller's story, like life itself, reaches its inevitable end." — Boston Globe

        "Miller takes on and renews familiar themes of trust and betrayal between husbands and wives, parents and children, and does so with her signature crystalline focus and boundless empathy. The grieving process is hard enough to endure without having to question everything one ever knew about the deceased, an emotional minefield Miller traverses with grace and authenticity that are both haunting and vital." — Booklist, Starred Review

        "The emotional beauty of Monogamy arises from the impact of her characters' interactions on one another, and how their memories of those interactions and of other events shape, shift and reshape." — BookPage, Cover Interview (Starred Review)

        "A robust, character-driven examination of the inner workings of a lengthy marriage...The novel is grounded by vibrant prose, vividly portrayed secondary characters, and the resiliency of everlasting love...A spectacular, powerful return." — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

        "Annie never truly wants to let Graham go, as if, in the end, that's what monogamy really means. This is a beautiful book...during this time when family means more than ever." Associated Press

        "Miller's skill at depicting the intricacies of marriage, parenting, and domestic life, the atmosphere of the independent bookstore, and the pleasures of flowers, wine, and food, makes this book charming and inviting in a way that is somewhat at odds with its sorrowful impetus....A thoughtful and realistic portrait of those...

      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        Starred review from June 1, 2020
        Miller (The Arsonist) delivers a robust, character-driven examination of the inner workings of a lengthy marriage. Domestic tranquility quickly totters into roiling turmoil as photographer Annie McFarlane struggles with grief after the sudden death of Graham, her bookstore-owning husband of almost 30 years. When Annie met Graham on the opening night of his shop in Harvard Square, each was coming off a disastrous first marriage. Annie never really loved Alan, a handsome preppy filled with contempt for others, including her, and she left him. Graham’s first marriage was an open one (“It had been that era”), but his prodigious affairs were too much for Frieda, who left him with their young son. Frieda and Graham remained friends after their divorce, “leading to the lasting complexity of their entwined lives.” Annie feels “doubly betrayed” when she learns that Graham had confided in Frieda about a recent affair. The novel takes on various configurations, swelling with recovered memories of childhood experiences and crackling with revelations of seductive temptations at an artist’s colony. Annie swirls through bitterness and missed opportunities on her way to an acceptance of a “new sorrow,” while Graham’s Rabelaisian, larger-than-life personality is felt even in his absence. The novel is grounded by vibrant prose, vividly portrayed secondary characters, and the resiliency of everlasting love. Miller’s fans will devour this spectacular, powerful return. Agent: Suzanne Gluck, WME.

      • premium: True
      • source: Kirkus
      • content:

        June 15, 2020
        What do we do with bad news of the dead? A near-perfect second marriage is disrupted--first by death, then by posthumous revelations. Boston bookstore owner Graham McFarlane is such a lovable and forgivable man that the ex-wife he cheated on, Frieda, and her replacement, a photographer named Annie, whom he is also cheating on, are close friends. Woman No. 3 is not going to make it into the circle, though, as Graham dies of a heart attack the day after he stops by her house to break up with her in a fit of uxoriousness and remorse. This death happens fairly early in the book, but since the reader knows about the affair and Annie does not, the first two-thirds of Miller's 13th novel are infused with a merry narrative tension. That energy dissipates somewhat when Annie eventually finds out about Graham's infidelity. At this point the novel becomes more meditative, sticking close to Annie as she deals with the disorienting feeling that she never really knew the man she deeply loved--and who so clearly loved her--for 30 years. As their daughter, Sarah, describes her "Rabelaisian" father, "He was big, in every way. A lover of life. And kind....He made people happy, without even trying." Of course the last thing Annie wants is for Graham's children, or anyone else, to know what she now knows. Miller's skill at depicting the intricacies of marriage, parenting, and domestic life, the atmosphere of the independent bookstore, and the pleasures of flowers, wine, and food (a craving for split pea soup with ham and dill, served with "a loaf of dark rye [from] Formaggio," lingers still) makes this book charming and inviting in a way that is somewhat at odds with its sorrowful impetus. A thoughtful and realistic portrait of those golden people who seem to have such enviable lives.

        COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • premium: True
      • source: Booklist
      • content:

        Starred review from August 1, 2020
        Both coming off failed first marriages, Annie and Graham were the loves of each other's lives. Graham was large and lusty, a hail-fellow-well-met whose Cambridge bookstore was a welcoming destination for the literary set. A professional photographer beginning to establish a reputation in the art world, Annie was diminutive and reserved, but only in comparison; her appetite for intimacy was as great as her husband's. So it was noteworthy when, after 30 years of marriage, Graham became preoccupied and remote. Before they could resolve whatever was coming between them, however, Graham died, leaving Annie with more questions than answers. Gingerly navigating her new role as widow, Annie relies on her unexpectedly close relationship with Graham's first wife, Frieda; their son, Lucas; and, to a lesser extent, Sarah, Graham and Annie's own daughter, for emotional support, which becomes critical when Annie learns that Graham was having an affair in the weeks before his death. Miller takes on and renews familiar themes of trust and betrayal between husbands and wives, parents and children, and does so with her signature crystalline focus and boundless empathy. The grieving process is hard enough to endure without having to question everything one ever knew about the deceased, an emotional minefield Miller traverses with grace and authenticity that are both haunting and vital.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Best-selling Miller's well-promoted latest will on many to-be-read lists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

      • premium: True
      • source: Library Journal
      • content:

        August 1, 2020

        In the late 1970s, Graham's first marriage had long ago imploded when his then-wife Frieda decided the open-marriage concept was not for her. Still, they have remained friends, for their own sake, as much as for their child, Lucas. Meanwhile, after Annie's own seven-year marriage ended, she embarked on a long, eventually unsatisfying run of endless casual encounters while pursuing a career in photography. When Annie and Graham meet at the opening of Graham's Cambridge bookstore, the connection is immediate and intense. Tired of their nonmonogamous ways, they marry within the year. Fast-forward to 2008. Their marriage, which was blessed with daughter Sarah, who now lives in California, has been a happy one, filled with joyful intimacy. Then in a careless moment of weakness, Graham embarks on a brief affair that he immediately regrets. Extricating himself isn't going well, as the woman has fallen in love and imagines a future together. Suddenly, before he can make things right, Graham dies. Annie, paralyzed by grief and disbelief at this unexpected loss, is nearly crushed when she accidentally learns of the affair while still in mourning. VERDICT Best-selling novelist Miller (While I Was Gone) unflinchingly examines the scorching pain of love, betrayal, raw grief, and the slow slog to forgiveness and healing. An eyes-wide-open look at the cost of commitment in all its messy permutations. [See Prepub Alert, 3/11/20.]--Beth Andersen, formerly with Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI

        Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

popularity
1556
links
    • self:
        • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/4dc68b44-863e-42f9-91b2-063ad21c8e7b/metadata
        • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
id
4dc68b44-863e-42f9-91b2-063ad21c8e7b
starRating
3.4
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0293-1/{4DC68B44-863E-42F9-91B2-063AD21C8E7B}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0293-1/{4DC68B44-863E-42F9-91B2-063AD21C8E7B}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0293-1/4DC/68B/44/{4DC68B44-863E-42F9-91B2-063AD21C8E7B}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0293-1/4DC/68B/44/{4DC68B44-863E-42F9-91B2-063AD21C8E7B}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
isPublicPerformanceAllowed
False
languages
      • code: en
      • name: English
subjects
      • value: Fiction
      • value: Literature
publishDateText
09/08/2020
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9780062969668
mediaType
eBook
shortDescription

A New York Times Notable Book NPR Best Book of the Year People magazine Top Ten Books of the Year • BookPage Best Book of the Year • Good Housekeeping Best Book of the Year

"A sensual and perceptive novel. . . . With humor and humanity, Miller resists the simple scorned-wife story and instead crafts a revelatory tale of the complexities—and the absurdities—of love, infidelity, and grief." —O, the Oprah Magazine

A brilliantly insightful novel, engrossing and haunting, about marriage, love, family, happiness and sorrow, from New York Times bestselling author Sue Miller.

Graham and Annie have been married for nearly thirty years. Their seemingly effortless devotion has long been the envy of their circle of friends and acquaintances. By all appearances, they are a golden couple.

Graham is a bookseller, a big, gregarious man with...

sortTitle
Monogamy A Novel
crossRefId
5167665
subtitle
A Novel
publisher
HarperCollins
bisacCodes
      • code: FIC019000
      • description: Fiction / Literary
      • code: FIC044000
      • description: Fiction / Contemporary Women
      • code: FIC045010
      • description: Fiction / Family Life / Marriage & Divorce