By Armistead Maupin $26.99; Harper; 270 pages
In his final Tales of the City novel, Armistead Maupin's The Days of Anna Madrigal returns to the colorful characters that have delighted readers for more than 25 years.
The book begins with the now-fragile and bawdy 92-year-old transgender matriarch Anna Madrigal, who is determined to "leave like a lady" and weaves in the stories of her young caretaker Jake Greenleaf, former tenant Brian Hawkins and his daughter Shawna as well as Mary Ann Singleton and Michael Tolliver. This eclectic bunch composes Anna's logical family that has expanded to include Jake's boyfriend, Amos; Brian's new wife, Wren; and Michael's much younger husband, Ben.
For the uninitiated Tales of the City readers, Maupin gives just enough background on each of the characters while also moving the story forward.
The flashbacks to the Depression-era Winnemucca, Nev.when Anna was still Andy and living at the Blue Moon, a whorehouse run by his motherare especially gripping and the best part of the book. It is there that readers discover how and why Anna chose her name following her transition.
Maupin's ability to weave concurring stories are on full display here. While Michael, Ben Jake, Amos, Shawna and Mary Ann are off to Burning Man, Brian and Wren take Anna back to Winnemucca so Anna can attend to unfinished business.
Learning about the ins and outs of the Burning Man experience was a revelation. Each of the characters had specific reasons for the journey and it was interesting to find out the different neighborhoods that are created out of nothing in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
Maupin's use of everyday places like Trader Joe's, Costco and locales specific to the Bay Area; Internet sites like Facebook, Twitter and Craigslist; current events such as the Chick-Fil-A boycott; and his use of slang specific to the present time, like "throwing shade" and "chillax," ground the book in the reality of the 2010s.
Moving, poignant and funny, The Days of Anna Madrigal is a celebration of a life fully lived.
For readers who have loved Maupin's stories, especially Anna Madrigal's journey, I would highly recommend this book.