The Days of Anna Madrigal: A Novel (Tales of the City)

Michael and his husband Ben are preparing for Michael’s first trip to Burning Man. Shawna has published a novel and thinks it’s time to get pregnant. Her father, Brian, has just married Wren, a sexy wench he has known for twenty years. Jake and his new flame, Amos, are building a butterfly. Anna Madrigal is ninety two and is putting her affairs in order. Part of her effort involves a trip to Winnemucca, to lay some old ghosts to rest. With abundant help from her many friends, Anna takes a long, dusty trip down memory lane.

I have been an ardent Maupin fan since that halcyon (!) era when the San Francisco Chronicle first ran the Tales of the City serial and I had to negotiate with (if not bribe) my daughter for the right to read it first. We both loved how totally San Francisco the story was. Maupin was writing about our friends and neighbors with humor, compassion, and more than a bit of snark.

This novel, Number 9, is not very snarky. For the most part, it is sweet, generous, and forgiving and may bring a few tears to the eyes. Maupin has claimed that this is the last novel he will write in this series. While it’s true that the beloved characters, who sprang so vividly to life as the story progressed, are getting old and gray, there are a few doors to the future left open, just in case Maupin changes his mind. Thank goodness!