Diving, Falling

July 9, 2024
In Kylie Mirmohamadi’s debut novel, Diving, Falling, Leila Whittaker is left with the business of living after her husband’s death. Ken Black was a famous artist, a legend given a lot of room to be eccentric (read: rude and unfaithful) because of his genius. Leila, a published author, mother, and clever and kind person, stood in his shadow for most of her life. She wrote about his art, cared for their children, and often put herself second. That’s not to say that Ken didn’t love Leila, but their marriage—and the time they could dedicate to their respective crafts—was unequal. After Ken’s death, Leila grapples with his public image, tends to her adult sons, and embarks on new relationships. Mirmohamadi allows us to see how Leila interacts with the people and the world around her, as well as her internal, unfiltered monologue, and there’s a nice juxtaposition between her inner and outer voices. Diving, Falling explores women’s autonomy and the standards they’re held to that men are not, while also diving into the complexities of imperfect relationships, questioning whether couples can have a true and accepting understanding of each other. This novel is for readers of Siri Hustvedt, Sigrid Nunez and Tessa Hadley, and for readers who love ‘begin again’ stories, untangling the complexities of relationships, and seeing women rail against double standards.