By Soula Emmanuel
This book went on my “most anticipated” list as soon as I heard its premise: Phoebe’s somewhat settled immigrant life in Copenhagen working on a PhD she no longer cares much about, is upended when her college ex Grace unexpectedly knocks on her door. Often billed as “the first Irish trans novel” (which I cannot confirm, but what a high bar to set if true!), Wild Geese blew me away in subtle and unexpected ways.
The first section opens with the unexplained measure “ten thousand nine hundred and ninety-two” in bold title font, right in the middle of the page. A riddle for the reader to figure out, just as Phoebe and Grace are desperately trying to figure themselves, and each other, out. The answer comes in about halfway through, and though it borders on the cliché, in context it strikes the reader as sad and powerfully tender.
Be warned, there are times when the narrative seems to drag slightly, particularly at the start of the third quarter. Yet even this I would excuse as necessary: there’s so much Phoebe and Grace need to process in order to grow, and so the reader must be patient, as if dealing with a particularly stubborn friend. Rest assured, those efforts are earned and rewarded.
There is something velvety and slippery about Emmanuel’s writing. It flirts with purple prose, but its precision and emotional depth save it from becoming over-indulgence. It beautifully delineates Phoebe’s search for clarity and her turmoil at being confronted with her confusing past, employing clever little tricks at times to further mimic the characters’ mental states. Not quite fragmentary yet definitely not linear either, the structure perfectly contains the book’s central question: how can a person make sense of all the pieces of life they have been given or have chosen? Wild Geese is cautiously optimistic in its answer, and all the better for it. Phoebe keeps trying to fit them all together, only to discover many of them were shaped differently than she believed. Like Grace, and indeed all young adults, but perhaps especially as a trans woman and immigrant (woe being both!), she must learn when to hold on and when to let go, and on what terms.
A novel that earns the often-overused tag of “profound meditation,” and a lopsided love story if I ever read one, Wild Geese will linger in the corners of your mind. I especially recommend it for fans of Sally Rooney, Jessica Andrews, and the Before trilogy.
Review by Oliver