title: Moon Palace by: Auster, Paul published: 1989 read: 2020-05 preview

The Moon Palace, a sad American story of love, life, leave.  Why did he leave her!?!?!

The story follows Marco Stanley Fogg, an orphan who is tirelessly seeking the key to his past and the answers to the ultimate riddle of his father. After his Uncle Victor dies, Marco inherits some money which he uses to pay for his uncle’s funeral. He becomes an introvert, spends his time reading, and thinks, “Why should I get a job? I have enough to do living through the days.” After selling his books one by one in order to survive, Fogg loses his apartment and seeks shelter in Central Park. He meets Kitty Wu and begins a romance with her after he has been rescued from Central Park by Zimmer and Kitty Wu. Eventually, he finds a job taking care of Thomas Effing. Fogg learns about the complicated history of his parents and Effing’s previous identity as the painter Julian Barber. When Effing dies, leaving money to Fogg, Marco and Kitty Wu set up a house together in Chinatown. After an abortion, Fogg breaks up with Kitty Wu and travels across the U.S. to search for himself. He begins his journey with his father Solomon Barber, who dies shortly after an accident at Westlawn Cemetery, where Fogg’s mother is buried. Marco continues his journey alone, which ends on a lonely California beach: “This is where I start, … this is where my life begins”.

Auster.