Super Short Summary

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney is a reflective, picaresque novel that spans a single night on New Year's Eve 1984. It follows 85-year-old Lillian Boxfish as she takes a walk through Manhattan, encounters various inhabitants, and reminisces about her vibrant life and career. Loosely inspired by the life of American writer Margaret Fishback, the story delves into the history of New York City and the evolving role of women in society. The novel discusses pregnancy loss, racism, alcohol use disorder, suicide, mental health conditions, and anti-LGBTQ+ biases in connection with the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.