Bloom novel populated with fascinating characters

“Lucky Us” by Amy Bloom (Random House, 240 pages, $26)

“My father’s wife died. My mother said we should drive down to his place and see what might be in it for us.” In the category of intriguing opening lines, author Amy Bloom offers a stellar one.

Twelve-year-old Eva is accustomed to seeing her charming father, Edgar, only when he would come to visit on Sundays or occasionally Thursdays, often timing his visit so they could all listen to one of President Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats. But after the death of Edgar’s wife, Eva’s mother discloses to her daughter, “your father loves us more, but he’s got another family.” Eva and her conniving mother present themselves at Edgar’s front door and, in a scene of revelation, Eva meets Edgar’s other daughter, the glamorous 16-year-old Iris. The girls decamp to Iris’ room while the grownups have a chat of their own. At the end of that visit, Eva’s mother departs, leaving behind a suitcase and Eva. It was a year before Eva understood that her mother wasn’t coming back for her.

“Iris was a star” and a foreign creature to her younger half sister. Eva easily and dismissively does well in school and sees her real job as helping Iris prepare for her many contests, whether drama, poetry reading, dancing, or other demonstrations of talent. Iris wins frequently and saves her prize money to leave Ohio and go to Hollywood.

Because her father tends to steal her hoarded winnings, Iris starts to hide her “Hollywood and Vine” money in Eva’s room. When Edgar begins looking for the stash there as well, Iris determines that it is time to leave. Eva, who refuses to be left behind, convinces self-centered Iris that she will be an asset to her, and the girls board a bus for California.

Iris enjoys initial success but succumbs to decadent temptation – the red-hot stove that is 1940s Hollywood – only to be badly burned. At the girls’ lowest point Edgar appears on their doorstep and after a reconciliation of sorts, the family relocates to New York where they find employment in the home of the nouveau riche Torelli family, as governess (Iris) and butler (Edgar), while residing in the Torelli carriage house. Iris is quick to realize that one of the advantages of wartime is that “anyone can be anyone.” Iris continues her acting career on a part-time basis with small parts on or near Broadway. Eva is presented with a set of tarot cards and teaches herself to give readings to earn a little income. She builds a steady clientele because she is careful to tell people only what they want to hear.

Used to being surrounded by mostly unreliable people, Eva is very impressed with the household cook’s husband, Gus. “He looked like he could carry you out of a burning building and he looked like the kind of man who would go back in to get your poodle.” In a concurrent thread, Bloom follows Gus’ rather bizarre life story of betrayal, exile, war, and eventual reclamation.

Bloom’s tale is populated with unique and fascinating characters, all obviously and sometimes flagrantly flawed but still sympathetic or at least interesting. The writing is agile and memorable, weaving a story that offers a pleasing complement of action, unexpected twists, and revealing psychological musings. Characters find, lose, or create families as they muddle through a turbulent era of uncertainty and war and still think of themselves as “lucky us.”

This story was originally published September 28, 2014 at 8:43 AM with the headline "Bloom novel populated with fascinating characters."