Lonesome Lies Before Us

Authenticity, failure, art, and identity would be a succinct, thematic description of Lee’s oeuvre (e.g., The Collective). Of course, it wouldn’t summarize the depth of his work. Here, Lee introduces us to Yadin Park, a failed musician who refused to let a major record label erode the purity of his work and sense of self. Leading a meager existence with his girlfriend Jeanette Matsuda, a housekeeper at a local hotel, Yadin yearns to record one more album before resigning himself to laying carpet for a living in the quiet town of Rosarita Bay, CA. However, a chance encounter with Mallory Wicks, his former bandmate and lost love, reignites his creative passion and simultaneously damages his relationship with Jeanette. As this love triangle unfolds, each character faces his or her own struggle to lead a life of quiet frustration and unrealized dreams. VERDICT With wit and humor, Lee pens a touching meditation on the obstacles, hindrances, and snags one encounters in the pursuit of being an artist. Readers for whom Dana Spiotta’s Stone Arabia resonated will enjoy Lee’s rumination on creative success.