Gatherings Book

I'm not sure how I came to own a copy of Marina Rust's 1993 book but there it was, sitting in a pile for years. I'm glad I picked it up and read it. I'd never heard of her.

I wanted to read more, so I looked her up and found the 1999 notice in the New York Times of her marriage to Ian Connor. There were images of her in gowns and heels, capes and costumes - with other well groomed and clad people - on runways, with Hollywood personalities and what is presumably New York society. Regretfully, no more books to read that I could find. No evidence she continues to write for Vogue.

Gatherings captures time before the internet and is atmospheric in a way novels written since then often aren't. I recalled my own growing up, in less moneyed circumstances, but doing many of the same things her characters did. It was relatable in a way that other novels aren't and that brought it to life.

If I were to read it again, I'd read it in the summer, on the deck, or at the lake, to fully enjoy the story and consider the meaning for our times. This is a well-written novel that should not be forgotten.