LUSTER by Raven Leilani

Edie is a 23-year-old Black woman who is barely subsisting in every way and whose roach-infested apartment is about to be yanked out from under her.  So is her job, for that matter, and the reason for her firing lands pretty squarely on her shoulders.  With $32 in the bank, she is offered a lifeline by the wife of the man Edie is currently dating.  Obviously, Rebecca and Eric have an open marriage, but the idea of this odd triangle living under the same roof seems outrageous.  Plus, Eric and Rebecca are both white, but they have an adopted Black adolescent daughter, Akila.  Edie tries to become an advocate for Akila, with varying degrees of success.  Art is what sustains Edie, and she apparently has talent but not enough self-confidence or self-esteem to make strides toward realizing her potential.  Of course, it’s not easy to pursue any kind of career when you are dependent on the good will of your lover’s spouse to feed you and keep a roof over your head.  The whole premise of this book is absurd but not entirely in a bad way.  It surely makes the case that although your job may not define you, it is certainly almost a requirement for survival.  Edie makes some horrifically bad choices—snooping around Eric and Rebecca’s home and becoming complicit in their daughter’s shoplifting tendencies, to name just a few.  I definitely wanted her to succeed and find a way out of the mess that is largely of her own making.  Plus, being Black does not make her path any easier.  The most enigmatic character here, though, is Rebecca.  Why on earth does she allow her husband’s lover to move in?  To keep an eye on her?  To solicit help with their daughter?  To satisfy her curiosity?  Or is she just trying to lend assistance to a woman in need?