Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Through the Ivory Gate | 1992 | Rita Dove | Buy |
Through the Ivory Gate (1992) is Rita Dove’s only novel. It follows Virginia King, a young woman who returns to her childhood city of Akron, Ohio as a puppeteer assigned to an elementary school. The novel moves between Virginia’s present and her past, building a layered portrait of memory, art, and identity.
The book showcases Dove’s ear for language in prose form, carrying the lyrical precision of her poetry into a longer narrative. It remains a single standalone entry in her catalog, with Dove focusing her career primarily on poetry and drama.