Devotion

Howard Norman's new book, Devotion (NYC: Houghton-Mifflin, 2007) begins on 19 August 1985, with a fist fight between David Kozol and his new father-in-law, William Field. This fight -- which occurred for reasons that remain mysterious until nearly the end of the book -- ends up in the street where William is hit by a taxi, injuring his pelvis and larynx.

From this dramatic beginning, the author then carefully fleshes out the story by moving forward and backward from this pivotal event to provide a glimpse into the lives and motivations of his protagonists.

From the moment that David first laid eyes on Margaret, traveling as a publicist with an orchestral ensemble, he fell madly in love with her, which places David on a collision course with her father, William. After a somewhat odd courtship, David and Margaret marry a few months later. David plans to write a book about his mentor, Josef Sudek, a Czech photographer, and Margaret continues travelling with the orchestra, checking in daily with her father, who tends 19 injured swans who live on an estate in Nova Scotia that is owned by a Jewish couple, Stefania and Isador Tecosky.

But after William is injured, David takes over his duties on the estate; Margaret refuses to see her husband; and William vows revenge on his son-in-law even as he requires his presence. Throughout the book, the author uses the broken swans as a counterpoint to the human world he describes. Like the cranky swans, each person is hurt in some way and is unable to fly. Yet, like swans, they are all devoted to each other: William is devoted to the swans on the estate; the Tecoskies are devoted to William; David is devoted to Margaret and to her father as well as to his mentor; and Margaret seeks reassurance from her husband of the sort of devotion that the swans embody.

Unfortunately, the story progresses towards a conclusion that felt somewhat contrived to me. This slim volume was interesting, but not as satisfying as I had expected.