Review: Willa & Hesper by Amy Feltman

One of my favorite ways to find new books is to look at the recommendations of bookstores that I follow on social media. This month my book was recommended by Gays the Word bookshop in London. If I could describe Willa & Hesper by Amy Feltman in one word, it would be a 'slow burn,' okay, I guess that was two words. If you are unfamiliar with the expression, basically slow burn means that your affection for something started very small and then grew to a roaring fire as time went on. 

The first few chapters of the book were slow. In this part, we began to learn a little bit about both the characters Willa and Hesper. Willa grew up in a suburb outside of New York and is struggling in her self-identity as she decided to move to New York City and attend an MFA program at Columbia. Hesper is in the same program as Willa and is originally from California. Hesper moved to NYC for the course, and her sister Ada also moved following their parent's divorce. With this little tidbit of their backstory, we follow them into their whirlwind romance. Very early on, they are very codependent and expect the other person to fix them, or I guess save them from their own feelings. 

Then as quickly as they get together, they break up after seven months, and no, that is not a spoiler alert as even the book cover says so. It is after the break up when they are both fractured that you see the characters on a deeper level. Hesper goes on a trip with her family to Tbilisi, Georgia, to learn more about her grandfather's family history. The dialogue between her parents, sister, and she is both dysfunctional and witty. You see, Hesper grappling with what traits of her parents she possesses, her mother preferring to be loved than to be loved too much or her father's failed attempt at trying to move on. Mostly you see her watching her parent's relationship and how she uses it as a mirror for her and Willas. Then she is put to the test when a massive family secret comes out about her grandfather and floods come ravaging through the town while they are there. Both these events send Hesper into a depressive state.

While Hesper is in Georgia, Willa embarks on a journey of her own. Willa feels the pain of her breakup with Hesper right away versus Hesper avoids the pain until later on in the book. After the breakup, Willa decided to go on a trip to learn more about her Jewish heritage and attend a group trip with other Jewish adults to visit sites in Germany and Poland. This trip is taxing to Willa emotionally as she learns more about her Jewish past, her relationship with religion, and her life in general. Basically, we are with Willa as she hits rocks bottom, but what is impressive is we are also with her when she rises up again. I will not spoil the end, but you will feel delighted with what Willa decides to do after the trip. 

Willa is given a stunning ending. As I said before, Hesper feels the pain of the relationship ends later in the book. She loses herself in other people and creates a version of herself that her family does not understand anymore, and neither does she. However, Hesper does start gaining clarity again, and it makes you wonder what she will do once she finds it entirely.

This novel was a sweet and easy read. However, it felt like it lacked something in the beginning that maybe fifty pages would have fixed. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something light to digest or for young adults. If you are looking for any more recommendations for Queer literature, please follow Gays the Word on Instagram. They post all the time about new novels of all genres that will pique anyone's interest.

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