June by Emmanuelle De Boysson

 When, less than a year ago I asked to Emmanuelle

which was the book she was writing, she said me: the biography of June wife of Henry Miller.

De Boysson post-poned the release of this book because of a massive health problem experienced months before: the author shared with her friends and readers everything of her health issues: back to her normality, she completed it and the launch of the book was just few days ago.

JUNE:

a biography, this one that will leave the reader sad and happy, at the end, because its'a a mixture of sadness, love, joy, but also controvertial feelings, and sacrifices.

The book opens when a jeep that arrives to the house of the brother of June, Peter, Arizona. June is not anymore in great health: she is a drug addicted, she suffers of bones problems because of multiple fractures. Although still in her 60s, she is a sick lady.

But...Memories flies in a distant past, when life appeared exciting and we discover a beautiful smiling girl,June, just 21 years: 1923 the year of her meeting with the man of his life: Henry Miller in a local where she worked in, called Amarillo. 

Henry is bewitched by this girl. An intelligent girl: she read Dostoïevski told him. Miller is surprised. Someone who read Fedor after all can't be poor. 

Realistically June was born in a South European country,  Roumanie, in Czernowitz precisely, but later her parents moved in Austria, Wien and in 1907 they left for the USA. She is a jew, but she tries to hide it for not being discriminate. 

Love between June and Henry is extremely sensual. It starts with some letters sent by him, direct, precious in the local where she works. It will be an extremely passionate love-story the one lived by them. Talking, June discovers that Henry works for the Western Union but that he is in love for writing. He would want to become a writer.

June loves his man and she strongly encourages him to continue his writings, leaving behind the work at the Western Union. 

Henry, anyway, is not alone. He is still married. His wife is Barbara and his daughter Beatrice, still little. He wants to divorce but dramas will accellerate this process, when the wife of Henry will find them to bed. 

Undecided, confused, strained for what happened, jealous of the first wife of the beloved writer, June will try to kill herself. 

Recovered, she will try to work for a theatrical company with the purpose of earning some money. She loves theater and she would want to become a star. At the same time Henry proceeds with the divorce. Their marriage will be modest but felt although a doubt will pass on her mind that first june 1924: Will, Val, as she called Henry, marry me for love? 

Why having doubts? Henry is a man of culture. curious, poetic. Her life with him plenty of joy, celebration and sensuality. 

They buy a new house, in a best corner of NYC, although it is pretty expensive. 

In the while, Henry reads Melville, Conrad and Whitman the poet of optimism. 

Considering that she doesn't earn a lot working as actress with that company, she tries again another local. 

Sacrifices in fact are many: from food to clothing, they couldn't buy anything. The Remo sounds the only alternative to starvation. Henry tries to collaborate with a newsmagazine, but he is rejected. Again and again. 

It's the Blue Parrot where she works that opens a world populated by gangsters, drug trafficking, politicians, corrupted people of every genre. In this multiform universe, there is also a strong population and community of gays and lesbians. 

She starts, for money to betray Henry. Henry accepts the state of thing, accepting prostitution as a necessity. And to him, the possibility to continue to writing. Emmanuelle describes it in this way: "Un accord tacite que Miller appellera d’ailleurs « prostitution efficace et légitimée » 

With that money she had the possibility to buy winter clothes, maintaining the husband. 

In this world she meets Jean. Jean is a female of strong character who will capture the attention of June. She will invite her to stay to their home. Henry accepts without any kind of enthusiasm the arrival of this guest. A guest who will become fundamental in this phase of June's existence and a person with which June she will start a sapphic love story. Henry will be devastated by this news, and he won't never accept these state of things. The two will spend a vacation in Paris together, but something will go wrong and June will return alone to NYC.

She will receive later a letter where someone explains her that Jean killed herself. 

June will be so sorry for this news.

At the same time the fertile imagination of Henry would want to write something on this love-story.

Oh: June is scandalized. She couldn't tolerate it.

At the same time, La Ville Lumieres fascinates her so badly and so she insists with Henry: you should go there she tells him.

And Henry accepts. At the same time June has a new and important lover in NYC. This lover promises her the release of a book signed by her. Henry wouldn't never want it...

Once in Paris, Henry Miller of course falls in love for Paris, and for the beautiful parisiennes. In particular for Anais Nin at that time married with a certain banker called Hugo. Anais is rich, generous and a lady tempted by men and women. The first time in Paris, June discovers the persisting courting of Anais. She becomes more insisting when she discovers that previously she had had a sapphic love with Jean.

Henry is worried. He wouldn't want a repetition of what seen in NYC with another lady.

But June loves and only loves Henry. The second time she will be to Paris, she will guess that something weird is going on between her husband and Anais. After all she had left him all alone in Paris...Anais would suggest a menage at trois, but June rejects it. It's the end of the love-story between June and Henry. 

Wonderfully written, as always Emmanuelle put all her french pathos in the description of all the possible shades of love.

Highly recommended.

Anna Maria Polidori