Banishing Verona

Zeke Cafarelli, a house painter with Asperger's syndrome, opens his door one day to find a very pregnant woman named Verona who claims to be his client's niece. Despite his structured routines and difficulty with social situations, he finds himself drawn into Verona's complex world. Verona, a radio show host fleeing from family troubles in London, has her own set of complications and secrets. Her sudden appearance and equally sudden disappearance set Zeke on an unexpected journey beyond his comfort zone. The narrative alternates between Zeke and Verona's perspectives as they navigate through their separate yet interconnected paths in England and America. Their individual stories involve family obligations, personal revelations, and the search for connection. The novel examines how people make sense of the world through different lenses, while exploring themes of truth, trust, and the courage required to step outside one's established boundaries.

Readers describe Banishing Verona as a character-driven novel with thoughtful writing, though many found the plot meandering and unsatisfying. Readers appreciated: - The detailed portrayal of Zeke's Asperger's syndrome - Livesey's prose style and attention to detail - The London setting - Complex family dynamics Common criticisms: - Slow pacing, especially in the middle sections - Too many coincidences in the plot - Verona's motivations remain unclear - Unresolved storylines and an abrupt ending Review Scores: Goodreads: 3.3/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 3.5/5 (40+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "Beautiful writing but the story never quite comes together" - Goodreads reviewer "The character of Zeke is brilliantly drawn" - Amazon reviewer "Found myself skimming the last third" - LibraryThing reviewer "Expected more after loving Eva Moves the Furniture" - Goodreads reviewer

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers This story of a deaf man's connections with wounded souls in a Southern town echoes Banishing Verona's exploration of isolation and unexpected human bonds.

The Music of Chance by Paul Auster A tale of strangers whose lives intersect through circumstance follows characters who, like Zeke and Verona, must navigate the boundaries between fate and choice.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss The narrative weaves together multiple characters across time and space in a meditation on love and loss that mirrors Livesey's layered approach to relationship complexities.

After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell This nonlinear narrative about family secrets and romantic love unfolds through shifting perspectives similar to the revelations in Banishing Verona.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger A love story complicated by unusual circumstances and separation presents themes of connection and timing that parallel Zeke and Verona's relationship.

📚 Author Margot Livesey was born in Scotland but wrote Banishing Verona while living in Massachusetts, where she teaches creative writing at Emerson College. 🏠 The novel's protagonist, Zeke, works as a house painter and has Asperger's syndrome, making this one of the earlier works of literary fiction to feature a character on the autism spectrum. 💑 The story's unconventional romance structure follows the two main characters separately for most of the book, with Zeke and Verona spending only a few days together at the beginning. 🌍 The narrative alternates between London and Boston, reflecting Livesey's own connection to both British and American cultures. 📖 Though published in 2004, the novel was partly inspired by Livesey's childhood memories of her father, who like Zeke was exceptionally gifted with numbers but struggled with social interactions.