Marion Winik, The Minnesota Star Tribune

In the arresting opening scene of Sarah Moss’ new novel, “Ripeness,” we meet Edith, 73, smushed beneath the substantial body of her once-a-week lover, a potter named Gunther.

Lines from Sylvia Plath’s poem “Daddy” flit through her mind — “Every woman adores a Fascist” — leading to the reflection that Gunther is hardly a Fascist, unless “his politics are so far to the left he’s come around the other side,” his fierce dedication to veganism butting right against the border.

In the pages that follow, we will spend a great deal of time inside Edith’s head, a busy place, swirling with interesting thoughts, some of which pop right out of her mouth, as in an early scene where she’s thinking about whether a slice of sour cream cake she’s sharing with her

See Full Page