A ‘kaleidoscopic’ novel about memory and betrayal

Julie Orringer’s novel follows a man who discovers a manuscript secretly written by his wife, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s. Luna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie Orringer. The New Yorker named this novel — about a man who discovers a manuscript secretly written by his wife, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s — one of the best books of 2026. The “kaleidoscopic” work, its reviewer writes, “examines justice, truth, fate, and freedom.” Buy Luna, Phoenix, Queen from your local bookstore.