4.5 stars. Edinburgh by Alexander Chee is a beautiful book. The writing is gorgeous and I just loved the main character Fee so, so much. I loved this book.

This book is about Fee, and particularly about how sexual abuse and trauma reverberates through his entire life. Fee is in a boys choir when he is young, and the choir director sexually assaults many of the boys, including Fee and his best friend Peter. Peter kills himself a few years later, and Fee blames himself for not warning Peter of the abuse to come. I don’t want to give too much away, and this is really simplistic version of the plot that leaves a lot out, but trigger warning for sexual abuse, pedophilia, and suicide.

Chee’s writing is stunning. His sentences are lyrical and the structure of the book works really well too. This book is extremely moving and has a haunting, dream-like quality to it. Despite being filled with trauma, this book is also full of grace. It will stick with me for a very long time. I am so sold on Chee! I bought this book months ago along with How to Write an Autobiographical Novel (which I’m now even more excited for) and I’m so glad that I finally picked it up.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone, but of course I recommend keeping in mind the difficult themes and making sure you’re in a headspace where you’re reading to engage with it. It’s a moving portrait of a boyhood and beyond, and Chee is an amazing author.