The Company She Keeps by Zelmer Wilson is a character-driven, twisty romance with robust conflict. Isabel Mathews has nearly reached her lifelong goal of becoming a full-time professor at Tulane. Yet, one secret—a passionate affair with her student, Raymond—lurks beneath her polished exterior. When a distressing call sends her to Nashville to attend to her ailing father, her life begins to unravel in unexpected ways. Accompanied by her drinking buddies, Henry and Malcolm, as well as Raymond and a cast of colorful characters, Isabel faces more than just family crises. Amidst the vibrant backdrop of Music City, she must come to terms with her true self.

Zelmer Wilson’s The Company She Keeps offers a rich canvas of interwoven lives, exploring complex relationships and identities against the backdrop of academia. Set in the 1970s, the novel examines how personal and familial histories shape the characters’ decisions. Characterization is stellar in this narrative, and Isabel emerges as a layered character, her resilience shaped by profound personal loss and her ever-turbulent relationship with her estranged father. Meanwhile, her close friends Hank and Malcolm represent the moral ambiguities of adult relationships. Hank's infidelity and Malcolm's guilt over his affair with the bright but uncertain Frida reflect the emotional turbulence surrounding them. Jerry, Isabel's older half-brother, offers a stabilizing presence, grounding her in the familial web of their father's neglect and diminished health, which inevitably draws in the contentious embrace of Isabel's half-sisters—Susan, Henrietta, and the others—who embody the unresolved grievances of their shared past. Through their interactions, Wilson crafts a compelling narrative that delves into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the intricate dynamics of family ties. Wilson excels at infusing the writing with realism, and the camaraderie among Isabel’s friends, especially Frida, Susan, and Malcolm, reveals complex layers of loyalty and betrayal. This novel is a balanced, expertly plotted narrative with flawed characters and skillfully developed themes.

The Company She Keeps by Zelmer Wilson delivers a character-driven narrative with elaborately explored characters, pulsating drama, and complex relationships. The story follows Isabel Mathews, a professor at Tulane University, and the friends surrounding her. She is a career-minded person whose dream of becoming a full-time professor is about to come true. However, her secret affair with a student at Tulane University might upend her plans. When she receives news of her father’s illness, Isabel travels to Nashville to visit him, bringing along her friends — Henry Young, Malcolm Hoffman, Raymond, Malcolm’s teaching assistant and girlfriend, Frida Kirsch, and her half-niece, Susan Lamont. In the streets of Music City, Isabel’s life begins to unravel unexpectedly. Does she have what it takes to face her fears and confront the consequences of her choices?

The Company She Keeps is a profoundly moving story with fully drawn and likable characters. The author creates flawed characters. Isabel struggles in a relationship that is not sanctioned by society. Her friend, Malcolm, is an unfaithful husband, having an affair with his teaching assistant. The people who surround Isabel are glaringly imperfect, and readers get the impression that they stick together because they are birds of the same feather. Zelmer Wilson excels at exploring the relationship dynamics among these characters, how their secrets affect their lives, and how they relate to each other. This propulsive narrative deftly balances drama with internal monologues, marries descriptive prose with sparkling dialogue, and cleverly examines the consequences of the characters' actions. Wilson is a great storyteller whose unique gift for crafting great characterization shines through the novel.

In The Company She Keeps by Zelmer Wilson, Isabel Mathews seems to have the perfect life as a professor at Tulane University. She is looking forward to becoming a full-time professor; however, she has a deep secret: an illicit relationship with Raymond Walker, a student about to graduate next June. A phone call from her ailing father sends her on a journey to Nashville, Tennessee, where her life begins to unravel in unexpected ways. As she explores the vibrant streets of Music City alongside her office mates and a cast of complex characters, Isabel's carefully constructed facade begins to crumble. Secrets and fears are revealed, and she must confront the consequences of her choices. Will she find a way to rebuild her life, or will the truth tear everything apart?

Zelmer Wilson’s novel is an emotionally rich and character-driven narrative that cleverly explores the theme of choices and consequences. The characters are deeply flawed and multifaceted. Isabel surrounds herself with people who have questionable values. Malcolm is a professor married to Klice, his wife of six years. They have two children together, but Malcolm has been having an affair with his teaching assistant, Frida. Klice is aware of the affair and feels hurt and betrayed. Hank also struggles with infidelity. The journey to Nashville is supposed to be a simple visit to ensure that Isabel’s father is doing well. Still, it turns out to unravel the truth, becoming an emotional rollercoaster that takes readers on an exciting ride as they follow the characters in their power dynamics, family drama, and troubles with loyalty. The Company She Keeps is a thoughtful story with lessons on the consequences of our actions, a well-plotted and balanced story with unforgettable characters.

The Company She Keeps by Zelmer Wilson introduces readers to Isabel Mathews and a cast of intriguing, complex characters. Isabel is on her path to becoming a fully-fledged professor at Tulane University. Still, her secret love affair with Raymond Walker — a student who should be graduating shortly and her junior — may have far more consequences than she imagined. Her friends are no better than her. Malcolm is married with children but is having an affair with his assistant. Hank also has his secrets, and Isabel doesn’t know much about the person with whom she shares an office. When she receives the call about her father’s illness, she sets out to visit him in Nashville, Tennessee, where she must confront the truth about her life. As secrets are laid bare and her vulnerability becomes apparent, can she face the truth and the consequences of her actions?

The first thing that captured my attention in The Company She Keeps was the author’s gift for crafting sophisticated and believable characters. Zelmer Wilson entices readers with beautiful prose, building drama with impeccably crafted dialogues through every page and using streams of consciousness and internal dialogues to explore the characters' psyches, especially Isabel’s. The prose is a treat on its own. The elements of the setting are well-drawn, from well-imagined and finely depicted locales to elements that capture the senses. The conflict evolves on multiple levels, from Isabel’s inner struggles with her choices to the not-so-perfect relationships among the characters. Readers are introduced to flawed characters; people that they might meet in ordinary life. This novel packs an emotional punch that no reader can ignore.