Not enough that newspaperman Lucas Blackburn is bedeviled by an academic wife who for all her brilliance as a Joycean scholar is mentally unstable, but from out of the blue he hears from a long-ago lover with news of a child they'd put up for adoption. She's been in touch with him, she says, and he’s now in jail on drug charges but about to get out on parole and she's looking for help with him once he gets out.
Enough in just that to make for a novel in itself, but there’s also a secondary plot in Phil Caputo’s new novel, “Memory and Desire,” in which Luke’s star reporter at his Miami newspaper is investigating a financial scheme involving a drug cartel that looks to implicate an old friend of Lucas’. Especially interesting you’d think that storyline would be for me with my having been a newspaper person myself, and indeed it did hold a certain interest for me, with its depiction of the inner workings of a newsroom, but I’m enough of a financial dunce that Caputo could have spelled out the details of the scheme in Dick and Jane terms and I’d still have been mystified.
Much more interesting to me was the depiction of Luke's wife, Maureen, who so fascinated me with her literary eruditeness and psychological trauma that I thought the novel could have stood simply as a profile of her. But as it was, for all the anxiety that she makes for Luke, how a putdown of hers of a friend's wife even makes for a shattering development for Luke, she doesn't really get that much time onstage; she even at one point drops out completely when she takes up an academic position abroad.
Still, even with her limited exposure, Caputo does well by her, as he does with Corinne, even if there’s a would-be surprise with Corinne that signaled itself to me well before it plays itself out in the novel's final pages. And pre-ordained as the finale with Maureen might seem, it comes with a suggestion of a degree of enduring responsibility to a loved one that is sobering to say the least.
All in all, an engrossing and extremely well-written novel, Caputo’s latest.

"Memory and Desire" by Philip Caputo is a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition. The novel follows protagonist David Kaplin, a Vietnam veteran who is struggling to come to terms with his traumatic experiences in war and his subsequent struggles with addiction.

The writing in "Memory and Desire" is powerful and evocative, capturing the sense of loss and desperation that Kaplin and many other veterans feel. Caputo's prose is raw and unflinching, pulling no punches in his portrayal of war and addiction. At the same time, his ability to create vivid and engaging characters makes the novel a deeply emotional and moving read.

The novel also touches on broader themes such as the human desire for connection and the search for meaning in life. Caputo's multi-dimensional approach to these complex ideas adds depth and nuance to the overall narrative.

Overall, "Memory and Desire" is a powerful and heartrending read that offers a candid and insightful portrayal of the struggles that veterans face. Caputo's writing is outstanding, combining raw emotion with a profound understanding of the human psyche. The novel is a must-read for anyone seeking to explore the complexities of the human condition. 4.5 stars.