Julia's Bookshelves

To some, the proposition of three undisturbed hours of solitude may seem undesirable. And, hey, I get it—the unavoidable interactions with strangers, the potential train delays, the sedentary nature of it—all things that I could do without. But, ever the introvert, I also revel in these times where I can just be by myself and exist in a state of rest. 

As a kid, I could read for hours. It was hard to put a book down once I got started. Now, life is busy, and my mind is even busier. In the era of hustle culture, time is currency and opportunity. I find myself falling victim to both the external and the self-inflicted pressure to use my free time “wisely.”

But sometimes I just want to enjoy my life and not feel like every second of the day needs to be laboring towards some greater goal. You could argue that reading ties to a pursuit of greater intellect, or that I am getting some form of marketable benefit from it, and you’d be right. But for me, reading is rest. It is a true pause from life and an opportunity to escape my own mind and travel somewhere else. 

In anticipation of this trip upstate I picked up a new book, The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan. It’s rare that I pick up a book I’ve heard nothing about and just dive right in, but the premise of this one intrigued me. 

Cate Kay is a pseudonym created by a fictional bestselling author who craves anonymity from the public eye. Behind the name is a woman who hides from the world and from herself. She has a past that she cannot forget, and she is filled with grief and guilt and complex love that threaten to consume her. The book is styled in the form of Cate Kay releasing her tell-all memoir, finally revealing the layers of her life that have long been hidden.

Cate’s life is deeply layered and the truths of her past are slowly revealed through complex and shocking twists that come from multiple character accounts. I have no doubt readers who love a mystery will enjoy this aspect of the story. 

The form is quite interesting, too. Author Kate Fagan weaves in perspectives of other characters alongside Cate throughout the story. These chapters widen the world and help reveal perceptions of the titular character that would otherwise be lost. There are many unreliable narrators, but the book does call itself out on this, too. Cate Kay provides multiple footnotes throughout the chapters explaining richer context or sharing alternate explanations for aspects of the story. Overall, the form is unique and is an added layer to the storytelling that enhances the themes and plot lines of the narrative. 

And then there’s Cate. Readers meet her in childhood and follow her through many years of life through the story. Her story is vulnerable and full of mistakes and misdirection, but they blend to create a woman who through many reinventions eventually goes down the road of finding her own identity. 

I read this entire book over my two train rides to and from Upstate New York. The relationship between Cate and several other key characters anchor the book, and I could not help but dive into their world. It was a deeply personal mystery and love story that completely captured my attention.

There’s lots of qualifiers for what a “good” book is. Any book that can keep me entertained for hours on end fits the bill for me. I highly recommend The Three Lives of Cate Kay for your next “block the world out and unwind” reading session.