The new earth

The new earth 

Families have different dynamics and often can be considered dysfunctional. The family we meet is more than that, opinionated, hardcore, unbending, and traumatized by things from their past. Imagine this conversation as your mother who has been withholding a serious truth about herself decides to tell everyone that her biological father is black. Two of her children as you will hear their viewpoints and conversations with their mother have no compassion, horrified and each one Patrick the son, and Winter the daughter have diverse viewpoints that are shared. One child named Bering was traveling to Palestine and was killed by an Israeli sniper. Each parent has his/ her separate life and the author allows us to learn about the novel published by Naomi and the diverse interpretations included not inky by her but by both of her children. Winter is an immigration attorney and Patrick runs to Germany. Both have different views on life, marriage, racism, and political viewpoints. Naomi even receives a letter from her real father on October 9, 2002, where we get his reasons for how he lived his life, having a black child come to his office, and why his entire relationship changed with his employees and more. Read his letter and get a better understanding of what he was trying to tell Naomi wondering what would it have been like to meet his white biological child and grandchildren. Winter, Bering, and Patrick and his emotions rise. Read the paragraph on page 103 it says it all. 

Naomi wrote the Shiva Hypothesis which is described in detail moving to the wedding and the viewpoints expressed between Patrick and Winter. All Winter wants is for her parents and brother to come to her wedding from wherever they have isolated themselves. But there are often infinite scars that can not be fixed or erased and pasts are remembered in the present as each one of these family members must decide if they can ever come together as one. 

Viewpoints the author incorporates on being Jewish, race, Zen Buddhism, explanations about climate and climate control, research about the history of Israel and their conflicts with Palestine, and more. The author allows us to be part of the character interactions, diverse dialogue between them, emotions, reading their texts and emails making readers part of the plot and experiencing the situations encountered by each character throughout the novel. 

Past events and conversations before Bering was killed and dealing with her mother’s revelation allow us to understand the dynamics of this family and then Winter and Zeno let us hear both sides of their idea about a wedding and the texted invitation say it all. Zeno and his father have different viewpoints on life and he wants to write his novel titled the New Earth plus will he attend the wedding? 

Past conversation with Bering wondering as the others did why her parents are still married. As Bering airs her feelings the author allows readers to hear the in-depth talks between Naomi and Stanley and the wedding about to take place. Her insensitivity cones through as Winter is swamped with work court appearances but Zeno has been detained how will this all play out and will he be released? 

We learn more about Bering as she adds information about her parents and a list of what they fought about on page 425. Then she included underlying conditions the kind all couples have just maybe a tad exaggerated in this case. Read pages 425-426 to know why. 

You the rest of her family description you need to read for yourself. The author takes the final chapters in many directions told in many voices. 

The issue of testing the family being black overtakes much of the discord between family members. Patrick and Winter deal with it but their interactions with their mother presents conflicting viewpoints that add to the issues of race, justice, and injustices related to Winters’s work and what happens to Zeno plus acceptance of who you are. 

Rehashing the past, Stanley recounts his life with Naomi we hear Zeno and his two mates in origin talking about the future and then Winter replays her feelingscwithvZeno but who will make the wedding? What about Naomi and her partner how will the family deal with that? What about Stanley where will he wind up and how will this all define them in the end? Will they unite, or will each go their own way? Histories are hard to erase and often indelible like ink on a page that never fades. Relationships may stay hidden, actions to find someone surprising and someone has a mind that wants to be left alone! Who? As we hear the final words of each family member will be surprised about the ending and what each one finally learns about themselves but futures might be uncertain and will as the last speaker says: you can go on to the next thing. There is an imprint on your skin that will never wear off. You are released. You decide the meaning and remember life takes you on journeys and you are the only one that can look up at the blue sky, cherish its grandeur, and as Zeno said: thank the earth and the sun, which give you life and the four directions. The New Earth: savor its beauty as each person sees it through their own eyes.

Fran Lewis just reviews