And Then There Were Three: Sixty-Seven Letters to Sasha is a non-fiction memoir written by Julia G. Fox. The author and her husband, George, found themselves living as a threesome when they reconnected with Sasha, a gay Ukrainian man who had been George's lover when they were both students. Through this series of letters, Julia details how Sasha's existence was first made known to her and her later efforts to locate him. She shares the two former lovers’ tumultuous reunion, and, for her, first meeting, in their old French teacher's home in the South of France. As she sat in the corner watching Sasha while he interacted with the others in the room, she found herself wishing she were a man. She was immensely attracted to him, and, in many ways, fell in love almost at that first sight. The threesome they would later form was, for the most part, an harmonious one, one filled with laughter, good wine, dancing and love. And, in retrospect, one the author still misses as there doesn’t seem to be so much dancing anymore now that she and George are two once again.

Julia G. Fox's non-fiction memoir, And Then There Were Three: Sixty-Seven Letters to Sasha, is one of those books I just couldn't put down. Her letters are filled with life, love and the poignant sense of loss that seeps in every so often as the author leaves her nostalgic view of what was and returns with us into the present. Throughout the work, there's a sense of wistfulness, of Fox wishing that she had been born male, perhaps a flamboyant boy who sometimes needed to cross-dress or indulge his feminine side, but still one of those men who like men and I couldn't help but feel for her as she considers what might have been. As she mentions from time to time, many younger readers may marvel at the concept of gay men and lesbians marrying people of the opposite sex for propriety's sake, or, as was in the case of her Ukrainian Sasha, for sheer survival, but non-traditional gender and sexual orientation issues are still very much a cause for concern in many parts of the world, making this memoir a most timely and highly valued one indeed. I was enchanted by the time I spent with Julia, George, and Sasha. By the end of the book, I felt as though they were old friends, and Fox's loss was felt more deeply than I would have expected when I began her memoir. Julia G. Fox's non-fiction memoir, And Then There Were Three: Sixty-Seven Letters to Sasha, is most highly recommended.

And Then There Were Three: Sixty-Seven Letters to Sasha by Julia G. Fox is a true story and autobiographical account written in the form of letters. And Then There Were Three basically revolves around the relationship between the author, her husband, George, and Sasha, an ex-lover of her husband’s from their college days. Julia and George have been married and living in London until the introduction of Sasha into their lives. George and Sasha know each other from before and were involved in a love affair before they each got married. The book, written in the form of letters from Julia to Sasha, chronicles their unique lifestyle and living arrangement as the three of them get into a relationship with each other. Sasha, although homosexual, is married to a woman as well, as a result of societal pressure under Communist rule in Ukraine. Their lives and letters provide a glimpse into what it means to be gay in countries and societies where homosexuality is still in the closet and can even be punished if found out.

And Then There Were Three is a loving but also tragic story about three lives. Although Julia is straight, her husband and his ex-lover Sasha are gay and/or bisexual and the result is a complex mix of emotions and sexual and interpersonal relationships between the three. Sasha especially comes from the East, typically a world where homosexuality is still taboo and divorces are uncommon simply due to societal pressure. This book offers a fascinating look into the lives and minds of the LGBT community, people who simply cannot express themselves openly. I found the writing to be direct and relevant and, although I wish more of the background story of these people in terms of how they grew up, how they met, etc. had been explored in more detail and the current circumstances of the people was more clear, it is still an interesting read.