Is it just me, or is there a grand parade of younger women who have written brilliant first books? Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Monica Ali, Yiyun Li, Ayana Mathis, Helen Oyeyemi, Hannah Pittard, Zadie Smith, Taiye Selasi: That’s not a comprehensive survey, that’s just what I can see from my chair without getting up.
Add Jenni Fagan. Fagan has nailed one particular version of a first-novel high wire act: an indelible first-person narrative that makes you realize how long it’s been since you’ve read one this good. ...