The House Uptown

This novel kicks off in 1997 when one of the main protagonists called Lane wakes up during the early hours of the morning, thinking that there are burglars in the house. To her relief, she finds that it is Bertrand Guidry, a man who, we can deduce, is her lover. But why is he with his son Artie? And why is Artie stained with blood both on his face and one of his socks? Bertrand tells Lane to clean the boy up, which she proceeds to do while Bertrand disappears into the night once more. Then Lane realises that her daughter, Louise, is watching from the hallway. 

And so we jump twenty years into the future to discover orphaned 14-year-old Ava, the daughter of Louise, travelling cross-country to the house of her grandmother, Lane. The Lane we meet now is not quite the same as when we first met her back in ´97. For starters, she completely forgets that Ava is coming to New Orleans and neglects to meet her at the station. Fortunately, young Ava is resourceful enough to find her way to her grandmother’s home. But why did Lane forget about Ava? Lane is a painter and her life is focused on that and little else, apart from iced coffee and pot. Little by little, we discover that she appears to be losing her memory and is heading towards dementia. Fortunately, Lane has a personal assistant called Oliver who looks after her every need, including her addiction to pot. As the novel progresses, Ava begins to wonder if Oliver is actually good for her grandmother. Is he really the loyal servant that, at first, he seems?  

Inevitably, the past comes back to haunt Lane. Young Artie, who Lane had met twenty years previously, is now following in his deceased father’s footsteps, running for the city council. His long-term plan is to run for the Senate in Washington D.C in the not-too-distant future and he is determined to fulfill his dream, no matter what.

But that is enough about the plot. To say more may lead to spoilers.  Let me just assure you that this relatively short novel (at 240 pages) is an absolutely wonderful character study. Ginsburg is an excellent writer. Her prose is mesmerising and addictive. At first, I thought I would not like it very much but as I turned each page, I became more and more intrigued. It is not a fast-flowing murder mystery, nor is it an edge of your seat thriller. However, it is, principally, a superbly written study of three people from three different generations and how our pasts can lead to misfortune. In my opinion, it all culminates in a most satisfying ending. Give it a try.