Them: A Memoir of Parents

Them: A Memoir of Parents, by Francine du Plessix Gray

Having enjoyed du Plessix Gray's biography of the real Madame Bovary, Louise Colet, I was really looking forward to reading the story of her parents. This book certainly does not disappoint. Her mother and stepfather were Russian emigrés whose friends and colleagues were some of the biggest names of the 20th century: Vladimir Mayakovsky, Conde Nast, and Jackson Pollack to name a few. Their life stories also run through some of the biggest events of the twentieth century including revolution and two world wars. While their lives were indeed interesting, and very glamorous, they were also quite shallow and sad. In the end I felt more sympathy for Francine than either of her parents, who treated her with appalling disregard.
-Annie