‘Scent of Pine’ intertwines past and future
Brooklyn BookBeat: Russian-born Author Credits Brooklyn As Inspiring Home for Writers
Throughout the history of literature, authors have explored the psyche of a protagonist who is coming of age or experiencing a midlife crisis, but rarely do these two narratives intersect within a single character. Intertwining stories that take shape from distinct time periods in a character’s life can be challenging, yet Lara Vapnyar has managed to do so rather seamlessly in her latest book, “The Scent of Pine” (Simon & Schuster, January 2014). Following her acclaimed novel “Memoirs of a Muse” and her collections “There are Jews in My House” and “Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love,” Vapnyar’s new novel tells the stirring and layered story of a woman whose retelling of her past weaves surprise into her future.
Like the author herself, Vapnyar’s protagonist, 38-year-old Lena, moved from Russia to the U.S. as a young adult. Although she’s on the young side for a “mid-life crisis,” Lena is nonetheless itching to be liberated from stifling circumstances. She has long been married, has two children, and for years has felt dissatisfied with her family life.
When the book begins, Lena is heading to upstate New York to attend an academic conference where she plans to present a paper on sexual education in Soviet Russia, drawing upon the experiences she had as an 18-year-old counselor at a Russian summer camp that attempted to repress sexuality. At the conference, Lena meets Ben, a gentle, middle-aged man who is also unhappy in his romantic relationship. Neither Lena nor Ben is particularly forward, yet despite their reticence, the two manage to connect rather quickly, and upon leaving the conference they spontaneously decide to escape their static lives and spend a few days together at Ben’s cabin in Maine.