Solstice - by Carol Gilligan (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A brilliant but restless dancer discovers the true meaning of love and intimacy through the ebbs and flows of her marriage in this exquisitely written novel--from the bestselling author and psychologist whose feminist classic, In a Different Voice, revolutionized our understanding of women's lives.

"[A] tender novel of intimacy and its risks."--The New Yorker (One of the Best Books of the Year So Far)
"A literary tour de force . . . an irresistible read."--Daphne Merkin
"A remarkable work by a remarkable writer."--Gish Jen
"A deeply felt narrative of a couple's push-pull dynamic over decades."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Boston, 1969. Eve, a dancer whose feelings are expressed through the body and movement, senses an inexplicable distance growing between herself and her husband, Gabe, a journalist and father of her two children. Feeling lost and alone, she begins an affair; Gabe detects it immediately and begins one himself. Yet somehow they find their way back to each other, and when Eve gives birth to a daughter, their marriage becomes vital again.

Years later, when Gabe returns from a reporting trip to the Middle East and Berlin, Eve again perceives something is wrong in her marriage. He has always had a darkness she could not fathom--deep psychological scars from his childhood, when Gabe escaped Nazi Germany on the Kindertransport.

Amsterdam, 1991. Newly separated from Gabe, Eve has accepted a fellowship to choreograph a dance inspired by the story of Adam and Eve. When a colleague introduces her to a new translation of the ancient text, Eve begins to redefine the way she thinks about women, men, and relationships--and, perhaps, to see another path back to her marriage.

In this emotionally riveting novel, Carol Gilligan draws on her unsurpassed psychological understanding of women's lives to explore a new vision of love and intimacy. Sweeping across decades and continents, Solstice is a provocative and profound portrait of what it takes to truly love another.

Review Quotes

"Love, life, and art, each feeding and being fed by the next--no one draws the connections like Carol Gilligan. Solstice is a remarkable work by a remarkable writer, in whose generative hands head meets, at last, heart."--Gish Jen, author of Bad Bad Girl

"A literary tour de force and an imaginative rendition of the themes that have always occupied Gilligan, including the role of gender, especially in intimate relationships, and a questioning of the patriarchal reading of the world. But for all its wide-ranging themes, Solstice is first and foremost an irresistible read. Gilligan brings her wisdom, empathy, and humor to bear upon the conflicts and desires that stir in each of us, and in so doing helps show us a way toward embracing the pleasures and connections that link us to this embattled world."--Daphne Merkin, author of 22 Minutes of Unconditional Love

"It's the voice that pulled me in--Solstice is the gripping story of a woman artist at work--a choreographer and her dancers, the world of children, marriage, and her ambition. In an utterly surprising way, Gilligan's novel illuminates the suspense central to all our lives. Will our work sustain us? Will we have and give love? Can we make a difference?"--Honor Moore, author of A Termination

"What if a woman follows what she feels to be true, no matter the judgment it brings? What if an ancient story can be a beacon to bring lovers home? Gilligan's vibrant new novel invites us into a love story unlike any other. Kaleidoscopic, sensual, and wholly unique, Solstice is a novel to treasure."--Rachel Kadish, author of The Weight of Ink

"This artful novel is both cosmopolitan and exquisitely intimate."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Reflective and engagingly talky, the novel poses questions about the value of marriage and the tensions and challenges inherent to it. Readers, especially those examining their lives from a mid-point, will find new insights into a familiar topic."--Booklist

About the Author

Carol Gilligan, whose landmark classic In a Different Voice revolutionized the study of girls, women, and human psychology, is a University Professor at New York University. She is the author of the novel Kyra and a number of books on psychology and women's and girls' development. At Harvard, Gilligan was the first Graham professor of gender studies and taught for over 30 years. In 1996, Time magazine named Gilligan one of the 25 most influential Americans and in 2025 she received the Kyoto Prize in arts and philosophy. Carol Gilligan lives in New York City and Massachusetts with her husband and the very old dog of their youngest son.