Fiction

By Staff -- Library Journal, 9/1/2006

Aaron, Relentless. Extra Marital Affairs. St. Martin's/Griffin: St. Martin's. Sept. 2006. c.288p. ISBN 0-312-35935-7. pap. $14.95. F

Aaron's latest novel, which deals with societal and class issues and knowing who your friends are in a time of crisis, follows the lives of African American couple Mason and Adena Fickle. This middle-class, professional couple seems to have the perfect life: expensive cars, great friends, and a house in the development community of Blue Mountain in East Stroudsburg, PA—not to mention a wonderful marriage and a creative sex life. But Mason and Adema find themselves in a terrible predicament when, after engaging in a ménage à trois, their female partner ends up dead in their bed. Now the criminal element that the couple desperately tried to leave behind not only arrives at their doorstep but makes itself at home. Can Adena and Mason's marriage survive this challenge, or will it tear them apart? Street-lit sensation Aaron (Triple Threat) has written an interesting and suspenseful book about life in the suburbs for African Americans, especially for those who have made it but cannot forget their humble beginnings. Recommended for urban public libraries. [This is the first title in the author's six-book deal with St. Martin's Griffin imprint.—Ed.]—Leslie Hayden, Univ. of Pittsburgh Lib.

Nigerian-born Adichie's first novel, Purple Hibiscus, won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and was short-listed for two other prestigious awards. As one reads Adichie's lyrical descriptions, it becomes clear why she is recognized as a promising new voice in literature. However, as is sometimes the case, the second novel does not merit the same extravagant praise as the first. Set in Nigeria during the turbulent years of the 1960s, this new work follows the stories of twin sisters Olanna and Kainene, their lovers, their family, and others who inhabit their privileged worlds, soon to be transformed by civil war. From the opening page, on which Adichie describes hedges “trimmed so flat on top that they looked like tables wrapped in leaves,” the reader is transported to a world so strongly imaged as to feel like a painting. But, disappointingly, the story line is not as well developed as the setting, and the characters fail to emerge fully. Not as great as the sum of its parts; for larger collections only. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/06.]— Caroline Hallsworth, City of Greater Sudbury

For the umpteenth time, Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice is retold, now from the perspective of her romantic hero, Fitzwilliam Darcy. But the authors employ very different approaches. Aylmer, the pen name of an Austen enthusiast who lives in Bath, England, incorporates huge sections from Austen, including entire conversations. She explains why in her introduction, which also includes an analysis of Darcy's character that she attempts to demonstrate in her reworking. Unfortunately, too many of Aylmer's additions may annoy rather than enlighten Austen fans. Such insertions as “replied Darcy” or “she asked him with surprise” impede rather than clarify their exchanges, and including information on things like Wickham's relationship with Georgiana early in the story reduces Austen's narrative complexity. Why settle for a pale imitation that includes so much of the original?

In contrast, Aidan creates plot lines scarcely hinted at in Austen. After an impressive start in An Assembly Such as This, the first title in her “Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman” trilogy, originally self-published, she now tackles the months during which Darcy is absent in Pride and Prejudice. Darcy is delighted to observe Georgiana's growing self-confidence after her rescue from Wickham, although he is somewhat uneasy about her intense religious devotion. Attempting to forget Elizabeth and find a suitable wife, he visits a university friend at his country estate, where he evades a love charm, interprets mysterious portents, and uncovers the true identity of an Irish “servant” scheming for revenge. Readers who enjoy Gothic romance might be intrigued by Aidan's foray into the genre, though others may see this volume as filler until Darcy and Elizabeth meet again in the trilogy's final installment. Libraries may want to wait for that book to see whether Aidan succeeds as well as she did in the first and to decide whether this bridge volume is a necessary purchase.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Mankato

Beall, a Los Angeles police officer, has written a fairly interesting debut crime novel that mixes sequences of past and present to tell its story. Ben Halloran is a new LAPD cop with a complicated, unsavory history that threatens to catch up with him. When he is paired with principled veteran Miguel Marquez, the two are drawn into the violent and dishonest world of gangsta rap. Through the effective use of back stories, Beall reveals his characters' motivations. There are some graphically violent scenes, but they serve to enhance what is already a gritty tale. The story itself isn't overly compelling, but Ben is likable enough, and events come together nicely. A good purchase for medium or large crime fiction collections in public libraries.—Craig Shufelt, Fort McMurray P.L., Alta.

This latest endeavor by Nicaraguan poet, novelist, and essayist Belli (The Country Under My Skin) is actually two books in one: a fascinating account of “Juana the Mad” of Castile and the coming-of-age story of 17-year-old Lucía, an orphaned boarder at a Madrid convent in the 1960s. The two story lines intersect when Lucía meets Manuel, a Spanish Renaissance professor 20 years her senior who is obsessed with the history of Juana, the Spanish princess who was madly in love with her husband and, after his death, was imprisoned by her own family for more than 40 years. Manuel invites the impressionable Lucía to listen to the story of Juana. Dressed in a Renaissance gown, Lucía is seduced not only by Manuel but also by his account of this intriguing character in Spain's history. The story of Juana is richly told and would make a fine novel by itself. The modern tale of seduction is a little less spellbinding but has enough suspense (e.g., is Lucía pregnant or not?) to keep readers' attention. This novel has a feel similar to Tracy Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring and will be of interest to fans of historical fiction and Latin American literature.—Anika Fajardo, Coll. of St. Catherine Lib., St. Paul, MN

Together with its companion, De Kapellekensbaan, this work is considered Flemish author Boon's masterwork and a highlight of Dutch-language literature. As it was first published in 1956, an English version is long overdue; grants from the Flemish Literary Fund and the PEN Translation Fund facilitated this excellent translation. Set against the backdrop of the world wars, the novel is simultaneously the story of Ondine and Oscarke, a married couple living in the mill town of Termuren near Brussels, and the story of Boon writing Summer in Termuren. Throughout, secondary characters inform the narrative, constantly telling the fictional Boon what should and should not be included in the novel. The result is an important work of early exploratory fiction, but it's not an easy read. Going against literary conventions, Boon uses almost no capital letters and inserts newspaper style headlines throughout. Because casual readers will quickly become overwhelmed when faced with such a style in a novel of this length, this work is recommended for academic libraries only.—Karen Walton Morse, Univ. at Buffalo Libs., NY

In his latest novel, Boyd (A Good Man in Africa) entwines two stories. One, set in England in 1976, focuses on the everyday preoccupations of Ruth Gilmartin, a single mother who teaches English to foreigners in Oxford. Ruth's life changes when her mother, Sally, begins to reveal her past to her daughter. In the early years of World War II, Sally, whose real name is Eva Delectorskaya, was recruited as a spy by British intelligence. Sent to New York in 1941, she spread black propaganda in an attempt to coax the United States into the war. On a mission in New Mexico, Eva was betrayed and had to kill a man to survive. Unable to trust her team, she escaped to Canada and eventually returned to England, where she lives in seclusion under a new identity, waiting for her betrayer to track her down. While some readers may be annoyed by the author's stylistic tics, particularly the profusion of paired adverbs (e.g., people speak “seriously, weightily” and shrug “hopelessly, helplessly”), others will enjoy this glimpse of wartime dirty tricks. For larger public libraries.—Ron Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson

A follow-up to Bradbury's 1957 novel, Dandelion Wine, this Tom Sawyer–meets–Peter Pan novella is creepier than the first book but retains the elegiac tone and lovely descriptions of 1920s boyhood. In the author's note, Bradbury says he had planned to publish Farewell Summer as part of Dandelion Wine, and it works best as an extension of that book, giving more plot and substance to what was mainly a collection of reminiscences. Doug and Tom, the brothers from Dandelion Wine, have gathered together an army of neighborhood boys. They plan to wage war against some of the town's old men, believing that if they win, they will never have to grow up. They try various tactics—fasting, stealing the old men's chess pieces, destroying the town clock—but ultimately, of course, there is nothing to be done, and time moves pitilessly on. A sequel nearly 50 years in the making will surely find interested readers. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/06.]—Jenne Bergstrom, San Diego Cty. Lib.

Sila van den Kaap doesn't recall much about her childhood, but one thing is clear: as a young girl, she was taken from her family in Mozambique and sold to Dutch settlers in the Cape Colony of South Africa. Her first owner, a minister named Neethling, eventually drank himself to death. Other masters and mistresses followed, including one, Oumiesies (“Old Missus”), who promised Sila that upon her death she and her children would be free. Sadly, Oumiesies's son destroyed his mother's will, compelling Sila to remain in bondage. When we meet her, she is on Robben Island, imprisoned for strangling one of her children. The story unfolds in fits and starts and reads like a confession to a soulmate. This stream-of-consciousness style gives readers an intimate if disturbing peek into the mind of a fierce 19th-century slave woman. Herself born in South African, Christiansë, author of the poetry collection Castaway, based her novel on archival records; that someone with the protagonist's name was actually tried for murdering her child gives the narrative added heft and poignancy. Impossible to put down, this work deserves a place beside such classics as Toni Morrison's Beloved and Edward P. Jones's The Known World. Highly recommended.—Eleanor J. Bader, Brooklyn, NY

A prehistorically colossal zebra fish with a half-swallowed dead pony protruding from its mouth washes up on the shores of Goodnight, TX. To the wise and wizened locals, this offering from the sea is a bad sign. And, in fact, bad things have already started happening. The fishermen of Goodnight have lost their jobs owing to overfishing, the weather has turned unseasonably warm, and there is an abundance of disease-carrying mosquitoes. The lives of the townsfolk don't offer much more reason to hope. Falk, the orphaned teenager who works as a cook at the Black Tooth Café, nurtures an impossible love for the beautiful waitress, Una, who lives in a trailer with her overbearing mother and dreams of leaving Goodnight. Gabriel, her violent boyfriend, loses his shrimping job and becomes a predatory school bus driver, while Gusef, the Russian owner of the café, dispenses foreboding advice and faces the possible loss of his business. Cobb (The Fire Eaters) deals with the underlying issues of the destructiveness of nature and the ultimate redemption of humankind. Superbly written, dark and amusing, Cobb's portrait of this small town on the edge of disaster will stay with one long after the last page is turned. Highly recommended.— Joy Humphrey, Pepperdine Law Lib., Malibu, CA

After the death of his mother, 12-year-old David mourns her loss alone in his attic bedroom, with only his books to keep him company. As his anger at her death grows with each day, the books begin to speak to him, telling their wild tales of dragons, princes, and knights. Soon reality and fantasy collide, and David finds himself in a land unlike his own, a world where monsters, evil sorceresses, and half-human wolves dwell. With the help of friends he meets in this strange land, David goes on a search for the King, who is said to have The Book of Lost Things; this book will help David find his way home. Along the way, David encounters many challenges that transform the boy into a man. In an intriguing change of pace from his crime novels (Bad Men; Every Dead Thing), Connolly's book takes readers back into the imaginations they once held as children, reminding them of the time when they created fantasy worlds before adulthood changed them forever. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/06; see the interview with Connolly, p. 37.—Ed.]— Erin J. Miller, Middletown, NY

Sam and Hailey are perpetual 16 year olds, madly in love and on the lam from 1863 to 2063 in a constantly changing array of conveyances, from a mule to Sumover Linx. Sam tells the first 100 years, while Hailey simultaneously relates the second in alternating chapters with exactly 180 words of story and a parallel 180 words of news and sports headlines per page. This is ironic, as the young couple seems entirely aware of each other and of little else in their almost endless pursuit of love and liberty. Doubly ironic, the author seems to have little to say about love and liberty, arguably two of the most important themes in American literature. Danielewski's House of Leaves was a diamond of a book with a great story and dozens of brilliantly burnished facets. Only Revolutions is every bit as polished, but the relative lack of depth makes it more like cubic zirconium—more style than substance. (This review is exactly 180 words, too. So what?) Still, a fascinating read; recommended for medium to large academic and public libraries.—Jim Dwyer, California State Univ. Lib., Chico

Christmas is coming in bleak and lawless 1979 Belfast, but there is little cheer for the families of IRA political prisoners or for their prison guards. Alternating chapters follow the stories of Sean Moran, a young man in prison for his part in a car bombing gone awry, and John Dunn, a former British soldier and recent guard recruit. Brutality and mistrust characterize both sides of this increasingly volatile conflict. Finally, with the assistance of outside agitators, the inmates conspire to begin a hunger strike in support of their demands for more humane conditions. As inside conditions go from squalid to hellish, more human dramas take place outside Maze Prison, as Dunn finds a college-age son he never knew he had and Moran's mother comes to terms with her unhappy marriage. Drawing on actual events, Dean uses crystalline prose to paint both sides of the conflict with an equally tender and sympathetic brush. Not for the squeamish but highly recommended.— Barbara Love, Kingston Frontenac P.L., Ont.

Rebecca “Becks” Mansfield, marketing genius for high-tech startups, has hit a prolonged professional dry spell in the wake of the dot-com bubble burst. Her only current employment is as the voice of Vladima, an Internet-based animated vampire vixen with an increasingly large—albeit underground—fan base. The usual plot elements are all represented here: the extended urban family with the well-dressed, successful gay friend; the meltdown confession shared with a random stranger who turns into an unlikely benefactor; and an elaborate, English-country wedding (of Becks's best friend–turned–bridezilla). The treacly elements of the novel are counterbalanced by the techie setting and the spot-on depiction of Becks learning, somewhat slowly, to maintain a healthy balance among love, friendship, and career. This work is certainly a departure in genre from Dumas's Charlie Fairfax mystery series (Speak Now; How To Succeed in Murder), but both fans of her earlier novels and general chick-lit readers will be more than satisfied. Recommended for most public libraries.—Andrea Y. Griffith, Loma Linda Univ. Libs., CA

This gripping debut page-turner examines the shadier side of humanity while providing readers with a first-rate story. However, it is not for those with delicate sensibilities. Detective Nan Vining returns to her desk at the Pasadena Police Department, one year after having barely survived a brutal attack. She is assigned to investigate the vicious rape-murder of LAPD vice cop Frankie Lynde, who worked as an undercover prostitute. Lacking substantial clues, the police turn to the public for help. While they encounter numerous dead ends, Vining, who has experienced visions since the attack, follows otherworldly clues and her keen sense of insight to find the path of a brutal psychopath. Emley introduces two plotlines here, only one of which is satisfactorily concluded. Though Emley states that she will resolve the identity of Nan's attacker in further books, the reader is nonetheless left disappointed. Despite this flaw, the title is recommended for all suspense collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/06.].—Nanci Milone Hill, Nevins Memorial Lib., Metheun, MA

In this novel, set in Utah, Rudd Theurer is a disturbed teenager from a troubled home. Discovering his late father's letters, he learns of a possible half-brother and eventually finds (or possibly invents) another teenager, Lael Korth. Past and present mingle as Rudd's fascination with an early 20th-century Mormon murder involving blood-sacrifice rites leads him and Lael to murder a picnicking family, a crime in which Rudd himself is seriously injured. The only survivor, the family's teenage daughter, Lyndi, thinks that Rudd was an unfortunate innocent at the scene and befriends him, eventually becoming involved with him. His increasingly bizarre behavior centers on a twisted identification with the earlier murderer and leads, potentially, to another crime. Though clues are provided regarding the sources of Rudd's problems, the reader never learns enough to view him as more than a psychotic monster. Ex-Mormon Evenson (The Wavering Knife: Stories) intends this as an exploration of Mormonism's dark underside. While the novel may strike a chord with those of similar background, it won't resonate with the general reader.—Lawrence Rungren, Merrimack Valley Lib. Consortium, Andover, MA

Ferrante's second novel (after The Days of Abandonment) opens with the drowning death of Amalia, an aging Italian seamstress and the mother of Delia, the mid-forties narrator. Delia returns from Rome to her hometown, Naples, to make the funeral arrangements. Mysterious details about the death emerge, from Amalia's odd phone calls to Delia just days before to the anonymous calls Delia receives and her encounters with an obscenity-yelling, dirty old man. Delia embarks on a quest to find out how and why her mother died, in the process visiting people and places from her past. With the quick-paced mystery guiding the story, Delia explores her relationship with her mother, unraveling memories and secrets repressed since childhood and coming to terms with an upbringing filled with jealousy and violence. As the title indicates, Ferrante's vivid and powerful descriptions can be somewhat troubling at times, leaving the reader with a memorable sense of unease. Recommended for larger public and academic fiction collections.—Sarah Conrad Weisman, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY

Frazier's long-awaited second novel ambles off to a slow start, crawls along at a turtle's pace, and reaches its destination after some torturous plotting and doubtful characterization. In a Horatio Alger tale with a twist, the orphaned Will Cooper is sold by his aunt and uncle as an indentured servant to a tradesman in the South Carolina mountains. At the rundown trading post he is supposed to manage, Will befriends an older Cherokee named Bear and adapts so well to Cherokee life that the tribe calls him the White Chief. Will accumulates money and property but unsuccessfully represents the Cherokees to the federal government when it decides to remove them from their lands. Finally, some mysterious strangers ride into town to collect their debts, and Will's empire comes tumbling down. A love story between Will and a Native woman runs throughout, but Will fails in love as he eventually fails in everything else. Much like Davy Crockett's story, this work gets more unbelievable as it goes on since Will appears Zelig-like in all the major events of 19th-century Cherokee history. The Natives are stock characters, Will himself lacks depth and complexity, and despite the time frame he speaks like a postmodernist: “And though I was moved by the poem that the deconstructed bird revealed….” A tiresome novel, but most libraries will want a copy for fans of Frazier's Cold Mountain. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/06.]—Henry L. Carrigan Jr. Lancaster, PA

French Canadian author Gagnon's first book since Women in a World at War, an account of how women have been affected by violence in the Balkans, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere, this novel chronicles one young woman's experience of war and exile with a poet's gift for language and observation. Nonpracticing Muslim Sabaheta is a university student when war breaks out in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unlike many of her loved ones, she survives the conflict, first in the forest with her father and Bosnian guerrillas and then in Sarajevo, where she and her friends are forced to burn their books for fuel. After the war, Sabaheta, who renames herself Bosnia when she first begins to imagine the possibility of leaving her homeland, finally departs to find peace and to “[live] fully as that other person one has so often dreamed of becoming.” Clearly informed by Gagnon's work on Women in a World at War, this novel is written with an understanding unimaginable in a person who has not lived through war. A beautifully wrought treatise on war, suffering, recovery, and the world today; recommended for all large fiction collections.—Karen Walton Morse, Univ. at Buffalo Libs., NY

Twelve-year-old Joel Campbell's father was gunned down by thugs, and his mother is confined to a mental institution. Joel and his siblings live with an unwelcoming aunt in a dangerous part of London. His 15-year-old sister, Vanessa, is trading sexual favors for drugs, and his eight-year-old brother, Toby, spends much of his time in an imaginary world called Sose. To gain protection for his vulnerable little brother, Joel gets involved with the Blade, a vicious neighborhood drug dealer. Joel is the boy who, at the end of George's last novel, With No One as Witness, was arrested in the shooting death of Det. Peter Lynley's wife, Helen. This is an unusual sequel in that, rather than taking up where the last book left off, with the expected cast of characters—Barbara Havers, Winston Nkata, and Peter Lynley—it veers off to tell Joel's story. It's not the Lynley/Havers mystery some fans may be expecting, but it's a gripping story that, without preachiness, shows how a good child can lose his way. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/06.]—Jane la Plante, Minot State Univ. Lib., ND

A spot of bother is quite an understatement for what Haddon's characters endure in his impressive second novel (after his best-selling Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time). George Hall, retired and content with building his painting studio, discovers a lesion on his skin. Despite a diagnosis of eczema, he thinks he is dying of cancer, but no one in George's family notices his mental decline because of their own bit of trouble. Wife Jean is having a not-so-secret affair with David, one of George's old coworkers. Daughter Katie will soon marry someone unsuitable in the eyes of her family. Son Jamie feels “he's landed on the wrong planet, in the wrong family,” as he copes with a breakup with his boyfriend. In the carnival atmosphere of Katie's wedding, the toilet overflows, unexpected guests bring their dog, and George goes after David in a rage because he can't stand the smug look on his face, but their lives are mended as well as they could be. Haddon perfectly captures his characters' frailties and strengths while injecting humor with pinpoint accuracy. Highly recommended for all public libraries.—Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Grand Junction, CO

In Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula, the enigmatic R.M. Renfield is confined to an asylum and feeds on insects, spiders, and rats while awaiting the arrival of his dreaded master, Count Dracula. Hambly (Circle of the Moon), however, takes a different tact. Through Renfield's notes, disturbing dreams, and passionate letters to his wife, Catherine, readers begin to understand the intelligent but delusional Renfield, who believes that only through animal vitality can he obtain the potent energy needed to meet his master's demands. He is convinced that when he has done all that Dracula commands, he will be freed from the asylum and able to return to Catherine and their daughter, Vixie. All the familiar characters from Stoker's novel are present—Mina Harker; her husband, Jonathan; the tragic Lucy Westenra; Dr. Van Helsing; and Dracula's three wives, who make brief appearances in Stoker's book but here become important characters in their own right. Hambly is a superb storyteller, and her alternate view of the Dracula story, the third Renfield interpretation in recent years (after Tim Lucas's The Book of Renfield and Lawrence Barker's Renfield) is an excellent addition to the genre. Recommended for all fiction collection.— Patricia Altner, BiblioInfo.com, Columbia, MD

There is strong historical evidence that Tiro, slave and secretary to Marcus Cicero, one of the greatest of the Roman senators, wrote a biography of his master that is supposed to have been lost during the Middle Ages. Using existing records of Cicero's speeches and writings, Harris (Pompeii) has re-created Tiro's biographical work in this novel of Cicero, who to this day is known as a consummate politician, skilled litigator, and gifted orator. Factual and true to Cicero's original writings though this work may be, a certain dry recitation of dates and events renders it less a novel than a semifictional piece of nonfiction. Nonetheless, Harris's work provides an interesting glimpse into the lives of the rich, famous, corrupt, and powerful of Rome during the age of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and, of course, Cicero himself. Recommended for public and university libraries where there is an interest in ancient civilizations. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/06.]—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Municipal Libs., AK

In her third novel, Julavits proves to be something of a sorceress herself, weaving a commanding, sophisticated narrative that is both vivid and dreamlike. We are immediately riveted by Mary, a caustic, pained teenager who may or may not have been abducted when leaving school and later becomes the subject of two books with diametrically opposed viewpoints, whose authors each have an ax to grind. (Julavits zestfully skewers psychotherapy and writers of pop psychology.) The dialog crackles with wit and energy. “I'd like to point out that you've gone zero to bitch in less than 3 minutes,” Mary imagines saying to a psychotherapist whom she confronts as an adult, and she tells her hapless abductor, “Just because you have amnesia doesn't mean you're an all-purpose idiot.” But the story has many moments of real pathos as well, exploring family loss and state of the art dysfunction. It skillfully probes Mary's inner world, pointing out that imagined reality demands equal time and that life's real battles play out in our hearts and minds. Highly recommended.— Laurie Sullivan, Sage Group Int'l, Nashville

Life is like an impromptu recipe—you make the best out of what ingredients you have on hand. This is the overriding theme of Kalpakian's engrossing new novel, which follows the life of Eden Douglass, born into a strict Mormon family in St. Elmo, CA, but determined to follow her own path. Interspersed between chapters are recipes from Eden's family, friends, and acquaintances. The recipes are more than just a gimmick, for they are important touchstones in Eden's life and highlight the characters of their creators. Equally important, they demonstrate the literal and figurative melting pot that is America, more specifically California, in the 20th century, with Mexican, Armenian, Native American, and other ethnic groups flavoring the stew. The book is full of memorable characters, from the determined Eden herself to her Aunt Afton Lance, wielding power and control as the center of the family, and Eden's drunken, deluded mother, Kitty. Recommended for all public libraries.—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

Careese is a young black woman struggling to overcome homelessness and alcoholism. On impulse, Edmund, a desperately lonely middle-aged white divorcé, offers to let her stay in his apartment. What is initially meant to be a few days stretches into months as Edmund attempts to help Careese develop job skills and repair her relationship with her ten-year-old daughter. Edmund has a troubled history with his own daughter, whom he emotionally abandoned while she was being raised by an abusive stepfather. The book's first half moves slowly, and much of Laser's plotting feels contrived. However, he is brutally honest about the difficulty of bridging the racial gap and the assumptions that even well-meaning blacks and whites make about one another. Careese and Edmund are both deeply flawed people, and while the situations in which they find themselves might be somewhat unbelievable, their reactions to them and to each other are not. Recommended for urban public libraries.—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

Lustbader, the prolific author of fantasy (the “Pearl Saga” series) and thriller (Ninja) and literary heir to Robert Ludlum, here dives into the crowded Da Vinci Code pool. As is typical of this new subgenre, the story centers on two secret societies with nifty names that have battled each other since the Crusades. One group, descendants of a religious order founded by followers of St. Francis of Assisi, has preserved a cache of documents that includes a Testament attributed to Christ. The other group consists of knights originally sponsored by the papacy to destroy the order and acquire the documents. Also typical of this type of novel, we have the requisite cryptanalyst/medieval scholar, in this case one who knew nothing of his father's secret work as Keeper of the Testament and who follows the clever clues left him by his father, while we never know whom we can trust. Though the subject matter does not relate to Mary Magdalene or the Holy Grail, fans of Dan Brown's Code will enjoy this thrilling novel. Recommended for most popular fiction collections. [The author's wife, Victoria Lustbader, made her fiction debut this year with Hidden.—Ed.]— Laura A.B. Cifelli, Ft. Myers–Lee Cty. P.L., FL

Winner of the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, McCarthy (All the Pretty Horses) here offers a prescient account of a man and his son trying to survive in a devastated country where food is scarce and everyone has become a scavenger. The term survival of the fittest rings true here—very few people remain, and friends are extinct. Essentially, this is a story about nature vs. nurture, commitment and promises, and though there aren't many characters, there is abundant life in the prose. We are reminded how McCarthy has mastered the world outside of our domestic and social circles, with each description reading as if he had pulled a scene from the landscape and pasted it in the book. He uses metaphors the way some writers use punctuation, sprinkling them about with an artist's eye, showing us that literature from the heart still exists. Recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/06.]—Stephen Morrow, Columbus, OH

In her sixth novel, National Book Award winner McDermott (Charming Billy) continues her examination of the modern Irish American Catholic experience. Through a series of linked vignettes, this quiet story highlights events in the Keane family of Long Island over several decades. John and Mary Keane's somewhat surprising engagement in the late 1940s (both are a little past the usual marrying age) brings about an enduring union. Together, they manage to meet the challenges of raising four children on a limited income, confronting the social and religious struggles of the mid-20th century, and—hardest of all—losing to the Vietnam War the son they had named for a long-dead World War II soldier. McDermott knows this domestic milieu intimately, and her sure authorial hand illuminates the inner lives of these ordinary people in a way that resonates beyond the mundane to the broad human condition. Recommended for most fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/06.]—Starr E. Smith, Fairfax Cty. P.L., VA

In their youth, Billy Argo, his kid sister Caroline, and their friend Fenton solved a series of puzzling crimes with only a cheap detective kit and their imaginations. After Billy goes to college to study criminology, Caroline commits suicide and guilt-ridden Billy attempts it, ending up heavily sedated in a mental hospital. Ten years later, he connects with two other outcast, nerdy sorts to help solve the mysteries going on in their lives and in that of a kleptomaniac widow who is as fragile and traumatized as he is. The one mystery he can't solve is Caroline's death. This is postmodern fiction with a head and a heart, addressing such depressing issues as suicide, death, loneliness, failure, anomie, and guilt with compassion, humor, and even whimsy. Meno poses the existential question, “Is it more frightening to accept our lives as they are than it is to entertain a fantasy of hope?” and leads one to believe that hope may not be a fantasy after all. Meno's best work yet; highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.— Jim Dwyer, California State Univ. Lib., Chico

After many years of struggling with poverty, self-image, and molestation at the hands of her mother's boarder and friend, Mr. Boatright, classic underdog Annette Goode has finally achieved the American dream: a good job, a lovely home, a handsome husband who adores her, and a beautiful daughter. But in this sequel to God Don't Like Ugly and God Still Don't Like Ugly, something is chipping away at Annette's idealistic new world. When she begins receiving strange letters and packages from someone who clearly hates her and wants her gone, she turns to old friend and sometimes deadly sidekick Rhoda and her daughter, Jade. Readers are left on edge wondering if anything will be left of Annette's former life after her search for her unknown enemy. Monroe once again skillfully delivers a crafty story wrapped around a host of heartwarming characters battling everyday struggles and obstacles, even as she entertains readers with spurts of unexpected comedy and tragedy. Recommended for public libraries with contemporary African American collections.—Opalisa L. Jones, Birmingham P.L., AL

Set on Chicago's South Side, this is the story of Tommie Simms, a college-educated black man with a middle-class job in the insurance industry and a wife and young child. Laid off after 9/11, Tommie turns to his cousin, Remi, a dealer, to make ends meet. He is quickly drawn into the Chicago underworld, selling drugs to pay the bills and getting dangerously entangled with both gang members and a corrupt police officer. Ojikutu's harsh and often violent depiction of the street life, where everyone has developed his or her own hustle in order to get by, is riveting. If the book has a problem, it's with the portrayal of Tommie. The reader never really understands what's behind self-described “square” Tommie's rapid fall from middle-class provider to gangsta wannabe and is left to wonder whether he is ultimately driven more by necessity or a destructive streak in his character. Still, this doesn't diminish the power or raw immediacy of the novel. Recommended for larger public libraries.—Lawrence Rungren, Merrimack Valley Lib. Consortium, Andover, MA

Molly did not intend a simple conversation to turn her world upside down. After years of enduring her father's anger and restrictions, she lets her imagination take flight while confiding in a teacher. But the momentary release talking gives her has longer-lasting consequences as, pushed from home, she becomes a refugee constructing a life out of stories. Molly finds a job and a place to live and pays the rent by telling her landlord, Mr. Roberts, salacious stories, mildly titillating him with imaginary tales of bad behavior. In addition to making friends with Miranda, a fellow dropout–turned–hair stylist, and a librarian named Liz, Molly picks up a boyfriend who lives in his own imaginary world. In Salway's second novel (after The ABCs of Love), the fragility of the characters' combined dreams, hopes, and alternate realities threatens to undo Molly's carefully crafted sense of self while she serves as a catalyst to change the others' lives forever. Salway's haunting tale about the power and danger of stories is recommended for public libraries.—Jan Blodgett, Davidson, NC

This first novel by comic and actor Shearer of Simpsons and Spinal Tap fame is a satirical account of the fictional upstate New York town of Gammage. Facing financial strife, the city council decides to refashion the town's citizens as a Native American tribe (co-opting the name and traditions of the long-extinct Filaquonsetts) so that they can open a lucrative casino. Shearer's depiction of small-town politics and federal bureaucracy is spot-on, and there are a number of laugh-out-loud funny lines. But Shearer doesn't really know where to go with his audacious premise, and the story loses steam about halfway through. And while depth of character isn't necessarily required in satire, Shearer's main technique of characterization seems to be describing people's hairstyles. As Shearer is expected to make the rounds of the talk-show circuit to promote the book, there may be some demand, so purchase where interest warrants.—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs.

Former beauty queen Tuscany Miller gave up her dissertation on “Beauty Shop Culture in the South: Big Hair and Community” to get married. When her disastrous marriage ends, Tuscany discovers a young girl's diary in the attic of her father's bed-and-breakfast, a rundown postbellum plantation called Agate Hill. Tuscany's letters to her former doctoral advisor alternate with entries from this diary, kept by young Molly Petree, a Civil War orphan in North Carolina driven from her home, Agate Hill, by the Yankees and handed 'round from relatives to finishing schools until her 18th year. Molly's own diary and the diaries of her teachers and friends form a patchwork quilt of Molly's life from birth to death. Placed in Gatewood Academy by a benefactor, headstrong, beautiful, and independent Molly wins the affection of her fellow pupils and scorns the hypocrisy of the founders of the academy. Upon graduation, she heads for a mountain school and falls in love with a fun-loving, guitar-picking holler man until mysterious circumstances end the relationship. In the end, Molly returns to Agate Hill to live out her life surrounded by memories. Smith has worked her magic yet again; her rollicking humor, keen sense of place, deft characterizations, and raucous storytelling bring to life yet another set of memorable people and places. Highly recommended.—Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Lancaster, PA

From Argentine novelist Steimberg, winner of her native country's Premio Planeta Biblioteca del Sur for Cuando digo Magdalena (Call Me Magdalena), comes a poetically written and beautifully translated perspective on personal happiness, solace, and mature love. Middle-aged Cecilia has got trouble on her mind—the devastation of her husband's death, the pain inflicted on her by her drug-addicted son, and her need to redefine herself. To assuage her anxiety, she meanders daily into the Brazilian rain forest abutting her hotel/spa, even though these walks could just as easily cause her injury. Then one day she meets a fellow spa patient named Steve, who hails from North America. As their relationship slowly develops, Cecilia comes to view life differently: when things are bad, they can still be good. Fortuitously, Cecilia is willing to risk everything with Steve. Recommended for all collections.—Sofia A. Tangalos, SUNY at Buffalo

This is Vaite's second novel featuring Materena Mahi, her family, and her day-to-day experiences, following the critically acclaimed Frangipani, which focused on Materena's role as a mother. Here, Vaite writes about Materena's relationship with Pito, the father of her children. A romantic, Materena immediately starts planning her wedding when Pito comes home drunk one day and proposes. But as Materena further contemplates the possibility of their marriage, Pito's flaws are magnified, and by the time he repeats his proposal in a sober and sincere frame of mind, Materena is starting to reconsider. As she goes about town, Materena visits with her mother, Pito's mother, and her many cousins. Through these meetings, Vaite's audience is introduced to Tahitian customs and learns something about the French colonial presence on the island. Breadfruit is as much about the culture of Tahiti as it is about Materena and her impending marriage. This lighthearted if sometimes bittersweet novel is recommended for all levels of readers. [A third Materena novel is due out in 2007.—Ed.]—Rebecca Stuhr, Grinnell Coll. Libs., IA

Jesse Breedlove, an alcoholic janitor, digs up the bones of a murdered girl buried in a church basement. He wraps them up and takes them on the road from Omaha to Las Vegas, occasionally showing them to some poor loser or hard-luck case he meets along the way. Each of these people has a mystical, life-changing experience upon seeing the bones, some more bizarre than others. The bones sometimes sing; at other times, the murdered girl herself appears, glowing and radiant as if from heaven. Each chapter tells the story from a different person's perspective. Vivian (English & creative writing, Alma Coll., MI; Cold Snap as Yearning) writes in a poetic, almost hallucinatory style. He clearly seeks to give consolation or redemption to those who have lost loved ones to a similarly appalling tragedy. Whether readers will find solace in this strange and disturbing book is hard to say. Suggested for academic libraries and larger collections. [This is the first installment of a planned trilogy.—Ed.]— Leslie Patterson, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence

The University of Nebraska Press is posthumously publishing Walker's last, unfinished novel as part of its reprint collection of her fiction. The novel was rejected by two publishers in 1976, and the beginning and end have been heavily revised by Pearson, who is completing a study of Walker due shortly. Walker's simple prose and strong reliance on dialog worked well in some of her earlier works, with their themes of women coping in rustic or Western settings. This novel, with its heavy foreshadowing and dated dialog, feels more like soap opera, yet the reader is soon drawn into the domestic drama between a childless older couple and a pair of newlyweds in 1970s Boston. Paolo Romano, a doctor of Sicilian extraction, and his wife, Tiresa, a literature professor, are seen as the epitome of a cultured, devoted couple by Olive, whose own marriage to Ron, a young and oafish insurance executive, is rapidly going stale. The Romanos are oddly charmed by the beautiful but superficial Olive, and as Tiresa's health deteriorates their lives become entwined. For larger fiction collections, or where there is author interest.—Reba Leiding, James Madison Univ. Libs., Harrisonburg, VA

The third title in Willig's historical series about British spies at the turn of the 19th century (begun in the wonderful The Secret History of the Pink Carnation) finds our flower, née Jane Wooliston, more active than in the last volume (The Masque of the Black Tulip) though still not the focus of the inevitable romance. That honor falls to agent Geoffrey Pinchingdale-Snipe and Letitia (Letty) Alsworthy, whose shotgun marriage is the result of trying to prevent Letty's sister, Mary, from running off with Geoff. Geoff himself runs off on their wedding night to continue the anti-Napoleon campaign in Dublin, where a real uprising stands in as backdrop for the goings-on. Letty ends up on Irish shores as well, and the undercover fur begins to fly. Unfortunately, the modern frame for the historical series—the research of Harvard Ph.D. candidate Eloise Kelly into the archives belonging to Colin Selwick and the couple's not-quite-romance—has collapsed, rendering this work little more than a sorry chick-lit beach read. But the series is proceeding, so we assume eventually our Carnation, as well as Eloise and Colin, will find love if not Napoleon. This reviewer hopes Willig will adjust her palette and discover the right color finally to satisfy her readers. For public libraries with Carnation fans.—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

The dramatic level of some stories may be slight, but the emotional impact upon the reader can be enormous. It is the writer's skill with words that transforms mundane events into fascinating accounts of human experiences, and the ten stories in Bass's latest anthology do just that. Many of his characters, seemingly tired of growing up, become reckless, eccentric, and even dangerous. But it is precisely this behavior that allows them to fully taste the essence of life. While many of the stories (notably “Pagans,” “Goats,” and “Penetrations”) revolve around life's joys and burdens as shared by youth, Bass also hits us with the avalanche effect of divorce (“Yazoo”), our oneness with nature (“Her First Elk”), the physical and emotional pain incurred in healing (“The Lives of Rocks”), materialistic excess (“Titan”), and an autobiographical sketch of his metamorphosis from artist to activist (“Fiber”). Known for his honest portrayal of nature and equally adept in depicting urban settings, the award-winning Bass (Where the Sea Used To Be) continues to impress with lyrical prose and philosophical thoughts. Strongly recommended for public and academic libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/06.]— Victor Or, Vancouver & Surrey P.L., B.C.

This third collection of “short fictions and wonder” (after Smoke and Mirrors and Adventures in the Dream Trade) from the author of Anansi Boys ranges from a tale of zombies to a series of meditations inspired by singer Tori Amos's album, Strange Little Girls. As in his other books, there are fantastical elements. Gaiman follows no overarching theme, but that is what makes these stories charming, at times creepy, and good fun. They read like dreams and meditations, with a stream-of-consciousness quality to their presentation. Gaiman also explains some of the inspiration behind the stories to help put them in perspective. Overall, well worth adding to any collection; highly recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/06.]—Anastasia Diamond, Cleveland P.L.

This hefty volume from acclaimed writer Gordon pulls together new and previously uncollected short stories along with those previously published in the collection Temporary Shelter (1987). As in her longer fiction, Gordon's most powerful stories often center on female characters with some psychological void. The first story, “City Life,” sets this tone: a daughter of alcoholic parents constructs a tightly wrapped life meant to compensate for the shambles created by her parents only to have her sense of well-being crumble when she and her husband move to New York. But the range of themes is remarkable, from a woman's paranoid musings (“The Imagination of Disaster”) to the amusing ramblings of an elderly library patron (“The Epiphany Branch”). This collection allows fans of Gordon's novels to revel in repeated examples of her storytelling skill, for each story is a jewel, a finely crafted narrative that sustains the reader from first word to last. Those who find Gordon's themes dark and troubling can sample her fiction in small doses. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/06.]—Reba Leiding, James Madison Univ. Libs., Harrisonburg, VA

Set primarily in the Caribbean and featuring many Jamaican characters, the 11 short stories in this anthology cover a wide range of topics, including memory (real and imagined), family relationships, and religion. These very readable pieces tell of the musings of a senile old man, a father's reunion with the spirit of his dead son, an old woman's presentation on how to beat a child, and a schizophrenic who dreams he is Bob Marley. The contributors, all participants in the Calabash Writer's Workshop, which was created to help more Jamaican writers get published, include Channer, Marlon James, Alwin Bully, A-dZiko Simba, Rudolph Wallace, Elizabeth Nunez, Kaylie Jones, Geoffrey Philp, Konrad Kirlew, Sharon Leach, and Kwame Dawes. Channer (English, Medgar Evers Coll.) has written two previous novels and a collection of stories. For larger public libraries and academic libraries serving a creative writing program.— Sarah Conrad Weisman, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY

This unusual debut collection of 11 stories uses an inventive style to probe fundamental questions about modern life from a variety of distinct perspectives. In the title story, a halfhearted superhero called Moisture Man betrays his fellow superheroes to the bad guys in exchange for the power of flying but soon discovers that there is mixture of good and evil in everyone—a common thread throughout these stories. In “401(K),” a man and his wife lead shallow lives as active members of a money-making culture, “buying things we don't want to feel closer to the things we know we can't get.” In “The Man Who Became Himself,” a character named David observes himself as if he were having an out-of-body experience, scraping away his pretentious outside shell to discover a man isolated and alone. The outstanding “Man of Quiet Desperation Goes on Short Vacation” features a protagonist forever trapped in uneventful static moments. These stories read like entries in a private journal, with clever metaphors and philosophical introspection related through absurd situations that capture the vagueness in our lives. Recommended for all collections.—David A. Beronä, Plymouth State Univ., NH