FICTION

TO MY EX-HUSBAND by Susan Dundon. (William Morrow: $20; 256 pp.) “You often don’t know it’s the last time for a lot of things. The last time you scare someone to death with a rubber lizard. The last time you sneak a look at your Christmas presents before Christmas. The last time--am I putting too fine a point on this--you make love to your husband.” So says Susan Dundon in “To My Ex-Husband,” a witty, insightful novel written in a format somewhere between personal letters and journal entries.

Shortly after Emily Moore’s husband walks away from their 20-year marriage, (“We want different things. It’s no one’s fault.”) she begins to write to him about her new life. There’s the difficulties of holidays, dating, financial problems and taking in borders. This may sound like enormous potential for ax grinding, but somehow, Emily manages to circumvent indulgence and make us care deeply for her on every page.

Another wonderful quality of “To My Ex-Husband,” is the universality of its appeal. Provided they’ve been in a relationship, anyone from an angry African American rapper to a WASPy math teacher can identify with Emily’s often subtle emotional experience. And it’s funny. This is writing that makes one feel grateful for the positive aspects of their life and full of hope that the more difficult parts will be resolved. “To My Ex-Husband,” is a truly generous book.