Life with Swan — Paul West

In this remarkable roman à clef, Paul West transcribes and transforms his own life and love with captivating eloquence. Recounting his now-quarter-century union with Swan (poet and naturalist Diane Ackerman) with wit and tenderness, the narrator re-creates their times together and their friendship with Raoul Bunsen -- a Carl Sagan-like character.

Meeting Bunsen turns out to be one of the most fortunate events of their shared lives, for he fans the couple's passion for all things astronomical. Through Bunsen's connections, they are invited to behind-the-scenes looks at momentous shuttle launches at Cape Canaveral and cosmic discoveries at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena -- experiences that prove creatively inspiring for them both. Their agony and elation over the failures and successes they witness are told with a breathtaking precision that illuminates the space program while bringing to it a rare humanity.

This is a story about a deep and honest love that burns undaunted, whether suffering the hilarious indignities and excesses of ivy-covered academia or the highs and lows of coming face-to-face with our galaxy. Haunted by astronomy, these literary lovers forge a bond that transcends the divide between art and science.

West's prose burns with emotion and passion, building over the course of the book to a majestic conclusion. Life with Swan is a unique and poignant novel that touches the heart, engages the mind, and stirs the soul.