The Book of V.

by Anna Solomon

Also on the inspiration front: thank you to Zevey Steinitz for you know what.

  Select chapter titles were stolen from Elizabeth Bishop’s poem “A Drunkard,” Angela Carter’s story “The Bloody Chamber,” Enid Dame’s poem “Lilith,” and Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s The Woman’s Bible.

  Great gratitude goes to Congregation Beth Ami of Santa Rosa, California, and in particular to Leanne Schy who wrote the fabulous “Purim of Love” script from which I shamelessly and with Leanne’s generous permission stole for the spiel in The Book of V.

  For cheering me on from near and far, feeding me, sending ideas, and being kind, thank you, Bo Abrams, Deborah Barron, Jenna Blum, Judi Campbell, Chris Castellani, Deborah Cramer, Elyssa East, Sarah Ellison, Eve Fox, Abby Greenbaum, Leslie Jamison, Rachel Kulick, Julia Mitric, Rekha Murthy, Britt Page, Eli Pollard, Mitzi Rapkin, Amy Scott, Evelyn Spence, Becca Steinitz, Marina Tolou-Shams, my sister, Fara Greenbaum, and my father, William Greenbaum, who taught me that even old texts—maybe especially old texts—are fair ground for play. To Erika Dreifus, Charlotte Gordon, Celeste Ng, and Sarah Stein for being early enthusiasts when I dared describe my idea to them. For spitballing, thanks to Sonya Larson for the idea and Elisabeth Hamilton, Marisa Silver, Megan Staffel, and Gina Zucker for the spit. Thanks to my students and colleagues at Warren Wilson, Barnard College, and the 92Y for all you teach me. To Heidi Pitlor, Jane Roper, and Gina (again), cheese-loving comrades in self-made retreats. To Lesley Williamson of the Saltonstall Arts Colony, Kathy Sherbrooke of Hemingway House, Scott Adkins of the Brooklyn Writers Space, and Sue Shepherd of her own home: portions of this book were written in the spaces you create. A shout-out to whoever left the bizarre Ohel Coffee, Product de Persia, Certified for the Court of Ahasuerus, 14 Adar 5773 mug at the Brooklyn Writers Space.

  To Lindsay McCune, for all the care you give my children while I work.

  Thank you to Julie Barer, whose faith that I could pull off this book kept me from losing mine and whose steady counsel, unwavering reason, and warm voice on the phone help keep my lights on. Also, you are one fine editor. Nicole Cunningham, thank you for all your work; keep dancing.

  Thank you to Serena Jones, who embraced this book with open arms and then pushed me to make it a hell of a lot better—your edits and emails bring me joy. To Ben Schrank, whose belief in and care with my story meant the world. To copyeditor Molly Lindley Pisani, who masterfully slayed my commas and left smiley faces in their wake. And to everyone at Henry Holt for welcoming me so quickly and securely into your fold and putting your hearts and expertise into bringing the world to The Book of V., including Marian Brown, Amy Einhorn, Pat Eisemann, Maddie Jones, Jason Liebman, Carolyn O’Keefe, Caitlin O’Shaughnessy, Maggie Richards, and Jessica Wiener.

  Thank you to my grandmother, Rose Greenbaum, née Genzuk, who gave me a sew-on-the-go kit that has turned out to be of great practical and imaginative use in my life. And to my mother, Ellen Solomon, who did in fact hang a sampler on the back of our bathroom door declaring A Well-Kept House Is a Sign of an Ill-Spent Life, and who was my first writing teacher.

  Finally, thank you to Sylvie and Sam for asking tough questions. And to Mike, for cooking me breakfast and keeping me company.

  ALSO BY ANNA SOLOMON

  Leaving Lucy Pear

  The Little Bride

  Labor Day:

  True Birth Stories by Today’s Best Women Writers

  (coeditor)

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ANNA SOLOMON is the author of Leaving Lucy Pear and The Little Bride and is a two-time winner of the Pushcart Prize. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in publications including the New York Times Magazine, One Story, Ploughshares, Slate, and more. Coeditor with Eleanor Henderson of Labor Day: True Birth Stories by Today’s Best Women Writers, Solomon was born and raised in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Epigraphs

  Part One

  Part Two

  Part Three

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Anna Solomon

  About the Author

  Copyright

  THE BOOK OF V. Copyright © 2020 by Anna Solomon. All rights reserved. For information, address Henry Holt and Co., 120 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10271.

  www.henryholt.com

  Cover design by Lynn Buckley

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

  Names: Solomon, Anna, author.

  Title: The book of V. / Anna Solomon.

  Description: First edition. | New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2020.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2019028705 | ISBN 9781250257017 (hardback) | ISBN 9781250257000 (ebk) | ISBN 9781250756459 (international)

  Classification: LCC PS3619.O4329 B66 2020 | DDC 813/.6—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019028705

  e-ISBN 9781250257000

  First Edition: May 2020

  Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.