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I love to read, and I have a tightly packed bookshelf, but I’m very picky about the books I purchase. I feel a lot of pressure to pick “the right” book when I’m spending money, so I’ll often read online reviews in a bookstore or check whether the library has it (if it does, I won’t buy it).
I admit it can be a little exhausting.
So, sometimes I’ll really treat myself and let myself go into a bookstore, wander freely, and buy ANY book that looks good. No checking review or library catalog, just buying it based on my first impression.
I’m happy to say that “Dear Monica Lewinsky” by Julia Langbein was one of those books.
The cover is what initially drew me to it, but the plot sounded unique and relatable.
Here’s the scoop:
Now forty-year-old Jean Dornan cannot escape the summer of 1998, when, as a college student studying abroad in France, she embarked on an inappropriate relationship with her professor.
Decades later, when that professor invites her to his retirement ceremony, Jean’s long-standing malaise becomes an emotional crisis. Desperate to understand why this relationship derailed her life so completely, she begins rereading her old diaries and is shocked to realize that her own disastrous affair occurred during the summer of the Lewinsky scandal, yet she never saw the parallels.
In a frenzy of guilt and regret, Jean finds herself praying to Monica Lewinsky for forgiveness as if she were a secular saint, a figure of both suffering and sympathy. To Jean’s shock, Saint Monica appears and guides Jean like the Ghost of Christmas Past back to the summer of 1998.
Had Jean merely been naive and stupid, as she has told herself for so long? Was it sheer weakness that led her into the affair? Or will Jean, with Saint Monica by her side, see past blame to the beauty of her younger self’s search for pleasure, connection, and transcendence?
I was pulled to this plot for many reasons, but one of them was Monica Lewinsky. I was in middle school when the scandal hit the news, and while I understood what was happening on some level, I didn’t process what it meant or its weight.
As an adult, I watched the story unfold through the lens of “Impeachment: American Crime Story” and saw it in a new light. I felt terrible for Lewinsky then, and even more now.
From that perspective, I thought this book would be interesting. And the Saint Monica of it all sounded hilarious.
The beginning of the book was a bit of a challenge for me, as it was establishing the world. But once the setup was clear, it was a fascinating read, and sadly, I think many women could relate to it.
I’d highly recommend it if you’re looking for something unique to read this summer!
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The Bitter Lemon 