Fiction
-- Library Journal, 4/1/2008
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Adamson, Gil. The Outlander. Ecco: HarperCollins. May 2008. c.400p. ISBN 978-0-06-149125-2. $25.95. F
Canadian poet and short fiction writer Adamson (Ashland), a 2007 Hammett Prize nominee, has shaped a picaresque tale in the style of Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain. Set in 1903, it reveals Mary Boulton's life with her cruel husband, John, in jagged flashbacks reflecting her sporadic delirium from hunger and the harsh elements. After their sickly newborn son dies, Mary takes the only way out she knows: she kills John with his hunting rifle and escapes West, with John's two angry brothers in pursuit. Various eccentrics help her along her harrowing journey, including William Moreland, a rough mountain man who eventually leaves her to return to the wilderness. Mary barely survives until a Crow Indian finds and takes her to a nearby mining town, where she recuperates. The brothers eventually track her down there, arriving just after a calamitous landslide. Authentic historical details, a strong female character running for her life, and a murder-driven plot will appeal to fiction readers in all public libraries. Highly recommended.—Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Grand Junction, CO
In his final novel, first published in 1952, seminal Israeli author and Nobel laureate Agnon (1888–1970) tells the story of a young Jewish man who, after living in Palestine, finds himself stranded in Berlin during World War I. As he wanders from rented room to rented room trying to find a tenable living situation, he encounters old friends and young women, all with stories of their own. Though some characters face personal tragedies, Agnon slightly downplays the horrors of war in what is a less leaden take on wartime hardships than is usually seen. Translated for the first time into English with an extensive introduction by Halkin, this meditation on wartime exile is a fascinating culmination of the Agnon canon. His protagonist shares his name and occupation, and clearly more than a few other elements of the novel are autobiographical. Recommended for general fiction and Jewish studies collections.—Alicia Korenman, Florida State Univ. Lib., Tallahassee
Benioff, David. City of Thieves. Viking. May 2008. ISBN 978-0-670-01870-3. $24.95. FLooking for the feel-good World War II book of the year? This tale of two miscreants in Soviet Leningrad might be the one, as Lev and Kolya bumble their way toward locating a dozen eggs for a stern Soviet colonel who needs them for his daughter's wedding cakes. The city is at the gates of starvation (achingly portrayed in realistic detail), so the boys set out into the enemy-occupied countryside. Delivering the eggs will release them from their death sentences, as Lev was caught looting the body of a downed German paratrooper and Kolya deserted his unit to visit girlfriends. Coming upon partisan cadres and Germans, they find little success in their perilous saga. With deftly sly humor, respect for the agony of warfare, and dialog that elevates the boys-to-men story beyond its typical male ribaldry, this second novel (after The 25th Hour) by screenwriter Benioff (The Kite Runner) deserves a bright spotlight in most libraries to attract readers young and old to its compelling pages.—Barbara Conaty, Falls Church, VA
Child, Lee. Nothing To Lose: A Jack Reacher Novel. Delacorte. Jun. 2008. c.416p. ISBN 978-0-385-34056-4. $27. FSoon after arriving in Despair, CO, the large, deadly, and enigmatic Jack Reacher, last seen in Bad Luck and Trouble, happily begins to take things into his own hands. He is a loner, a paladin, a wanderer who always seems to find trouble and always helps the good guys prevail. The towns of Hope and Despair are only a few miles apart as the crow flies, but guess which one is a dismal factory town ruled by a despotic religious fanatic? Good. Now guess which one Jack Reacher is going to take apart in his own inimitable fashion? It turns out that the fanatic believes the end of the world will come soon and wants to expedite the process. While this is going on, bodies are being found in the desert and people are disappearing. Child's 12th thriller may be formulaic and predictable, but Jack Reacher fans have always liked that about Child's novels. Recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/08.]—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI
Coben, Harlan. Hold Tight. Dutton. Apr. 2008. c.400p. ISBN 978-0-525-95060-8. $26.95. FCoben (The Final Detail) continues to dominate the thriller genre in this latest examination of suburbia. Mike and Tia Baye's son Adam delivers typically teen angst to his befuddled family. As a precaution, Mike and Tia invest in a spyware program that will report every keystroke on Adam's personal computer so they can track his movements. The results terrify them, and then Adam disappears. Life moves forward, and the questions become complex: How far would you go to protect your family? How well do you know your children? Coben tackles the troubles not only of the Bayes but also of other families, creating a strikingly realistic X-ray of an entire neighborhood. A fast and exhilarating roller-coaster ride that you don't want to end, but hold on tight. Then take the time to hug your kids. A mandatory purchase. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08.]—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.
Cooney, Ellen. Lambrusco. Pantheon. Apr. 2008. c.352p. ISBN 978-0-375-42496-0. $25. FFor years, the sparkling wine of the title flowed freely at Aldo's restaurant on the Italian Adriatic coast, and splendid opera selections performed by his wife, Lucia, were as popular as the food. Now in wartime 1943, fascists control Aldo's, and Lucia is a middle-aged widow worried about her son Beppi, a leader of anti-Mussolini partisans (who include Lucia and Aldo's wait staff). When Beppi goes missing after a daring solo attack, Lucia determines to locate him and get him to safety. Her travels through the fog of war are aided by a varied cast of old and new friends, including her perhaps too beloved physician cousin-in-law and an American female intelligence officer whose past as a golf champion includes some unsporting details. This promising material moves the plot along, but Cooney (A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies) undermines it with Lucia's often curiously flat narrative voice, her unconvincing dialogs with the deceased Aldo, and underexplored digressions into past events. Buy for comprehensive collections and where World War II fiction is in high demand.—Starr E. Smith, Fairfax Cty. P.L., VA
Crane, Megan. Names My Sisters Call Me. 5 Spot: Warner. Apr. 2008. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-446-69856-6. pap. $13.99. FCourtney Cassel's life is full of promise—she's a cellist in Philadelphia's Second Symphony Orchestra, and her boyfriend, Lucas, just proposed. But her relationship with her family isn't as good. Her father died after abandoning the family, leaving her mother unable to handle her older sisters, controlling Norah and irresponsible Raine. Family troubles peaked six years ago, when Raine ruined Norah's wedding and ran off with Courtney's then-boyfriend, Matt. Now, against Norah's stridently expressed wishes, Courtney travels to San Francisco to invite her fun, formerly favorite sister Raine to her engagement party. But does she want to heal family wounds, or is she really looking for Matt? And will this cost her the understanding Lucas? As Courtney learns what she truly wants, she, like most chick-lit heroines, makes some bad choices. But Courtney isn't stupid, just appealingly human throughout. And although her sisters' intense personalities irritate, the two are not completely unsympathetic. Crane's (Frenemies) latest is recommended, especially where books featuring sororal relationships, such as Lee Nichols's Hand-Me-Down and Eileen Rendahl's Do Me, Do My Roots, are popular.—Lisa Davis-Craig, Canton P.L., MI
de Kretser, Michelle. The Lost Dog. Little, Brown. Apr. 2008. c.304p. ISBN 978-0-316-00183-0. $24.99. FWhile staying in a remote cabin trying to finish his book on Henry James, divorced college professor Tom Loxley loses his dog and sets out to find him in the Australian outback. Accompanying him is Nellie Zhang, a highly regarded contemporary artist with a scandal in her past—and a woman with whom Tom would like to be more than just friends. Tom's search for the dog is mirrored by multiple needs: to understand his past as an immigrant from India, to grasp both Nellie's art and her personal history (information about which is doled out in fragments), to be sensitive to his mother's growing disabilities, and to anchor himself in the present. De Kretser, whose The Hamilton Case was a 2004 New York Times Notable Book, overlays her protagonist's perceptions with layers of imagery—from nature, Henry James's ghost stories, contemporary art, urban decay, and renewal—creating a nuanced portrait of a man in his time. The novel, like Tom, is multicultural, intelligent, challenging, and, ultimately, rewarding. Recommended for all literary fiction collections.—Andrea Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS
Emmons, Josh. Prescription for a Superior Existence. Scribner. Jun. 2008. c.256p. ISBN 978-1-4165-6105-7. $24. FEmmons (The Loss of Leon Meed) rakes a herd of sacred cows over the coals in this unusual novel. Jack Smith's mundane life takes an absurd turn when he's kidnapped by the fringe religious group Prescription for a Superior Existence. Known as PASE, the group forbids most pleasures, including sex, and emphasizes union with a deity called Ur-God. Though hostile at first, Jack slowly warms up to the PASE party line, which complicates matters when he is suddenly kidnapped again by what appears to be a group of countercult deprogrammers. Readers with a penchant for satire and the absurd will relish the novel's outrageous premise and knowing jibes at popular culture's sacred and secular excesses. Those who enjoy character development, however, may be disappointed by the flat, didactic speech-giving caricatures who people Jack's world. Emmons's attempt at creating a modern-day Pilgrim's Progress is a noble effort but one with limited appeal. An optional purchase for most collections, save where satire is popular.—Leigh Anne Vrabel, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh
Enger, Leif. So Brave, Young, and Handsome. Grove. May 2008. c.336p. ISBN 978-0-87113-985-6. $24. FEnger's (Peace Like a River) sophomore effort is at once engaging and curiously flat, somewhat like its Midwestern setting. In 1915 Minnesota, Monte Beckett, a writer trying to follow up a runaway best seller (like Enger himself), leaves his incomplete novels, his wife, and his son to go on a quest. Glendon Hale, a boat builder with a checkered past, takes Monte with him on his journey to apologize to the wife he abandoned 20 years previously. Their trip takes many unexpected detours while they try to avoid the ex-detective who has pursued Glendon for several decades. What awaits them at the end of their journey surprises both men. This is a particularly American tale, with many elements from both penny Westerns and Mark Twain; the plot is improbable, but the writing is absorbing. Libraries where Enger's first novel was popular will want this book as well. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08.]—Amy Ford, St. Mary's Cty. Lib., Lexington Park, MD
Feldman, Ellen. Scottsboro. Norton. Apr. 2008. c.384p. ISBN 978-0-393-06490-2. $24.95. FFeldman's latest (after The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank) might offer the most honest portrayal of the events surrounding the 1931 alleged rape of two white women by nine young black men on a train. Told from the perspective of Alice Whittier, a white female journalist from New York, the story not only offers a historical replication of the Scottsboro youth's imprisonment and unjust trials but also reveals the other players—the American Communist Party, attorneys, and journalists—who sought to gain from the acquittal or execution of the young men. Especially gripping is the painted humanity of Ruby Bates, the complainant who later recanted then reaffirmed her story. In conducting research for her articles, Whittier feels some pity for Ruby, who is as downtrodden as the accused, but is dejected when she realizes that she, too, seeks to exploit innocent men. This novel is not especially poetic, but Feldman's simple, eloquent phrases and realistic representation of the human condition make her book gripping and demonstrate a masterful control. Recommended for all libraries.—Ashanti White, Atlanta
Flowers, Rebecca. Nice To Come Home To. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Apr. 2008. c.336p. ISBN 978-1-59448-961-7. $24.95. FPru Whistler is blindsided by life—she's lost her job and gotten dumped by her boyfriend. Neither was the love of her life, but suddenly free of the security and predictabilitiy of a regular paycheck and a steady boyfriend, Pru flounders. After settling her job situation by becoming a consultant, she tentatively reenters the dating world only to find the most interesting man around carries more baggage than she does. Diverting her attention by focusing on her flighty but well-meaning sister Patsy, who's single-handedly raising a precocious preschooler and tangling with a too-good-to-be-true doctor, Pru discovers she can't fight fate for long. It takes a series of heavily disguised blessings for Pru to take advantage of the opportunities in life and the love awaiting her. A slow start and seemingly stock characters belie the heartwarming charm of this debut novel as the plot progresses and deepens, and Pru's friends and family demonstrate unexpected depth (and secrets). Familiar terrain in women's fiction is appealingly approached with a nuanced, evenhanded touch and genuine humor. Recommended for all public libraries.—Amy Brozio-Andrews, Albany P.L.
Fraser, George MacDonald. The Reavers. Knopf. Apr. 2008. c.288p. ISBN 978-0-307-26810-5. $24. FFraser's posthumously published tale takes the reader from the Victorian realms of his Flashman novels to the Elizabethan era for a wildly nonsensical romp involving highwaymen, 16th-century secret agents, a beautiful heiress, and a Spanish plot against the crown. Set on the border between England and Scotland, the plot (if it can be called that) revolves around a Spanish effort, led by the mysterious La Infamosa, to kidnap King James and replace him with an impostor. Attempting to foil her are the ravishing Lady Godiva Dacre and her dimwitted companion, Kylie, along with Gilderoy, part-time highwayman and Scotland's best-known secret agent, and Archie Noble, English "double-nought" secret agent and ostensible hero of the tale. After a series of hilarious complications, the unlikely foursome finds itself at La Infamosa's cave just as the coup is about to take place. A piece of inspired silliness and a worthy companion to the Flashman tales, this novel is hard to resist with its beginning: "It was a dark and stormy night in Elizabethan England." Recommended for public libraries.—Lawrence Rungren, Merrimack Valley Lib. Consortium, Andover, MA
Freely, Maureen. Enlightenment. Overlook, dist. by Penguin Group (USA). May 2008. c.400p. ISBN 978-1-59020-074-2. $24.95. FIn 1970 Istanbul, Jeannie, the daughter of an American CIA agent, falls in love with Sinan, a student radical who is alienated from America by its persistent support of Turkish corruption. Sinan is imprisoned on trumped-up charges, but years later, the lovers reunite and marry, living peacefully for a while. Then, without warning, on a visit to the States, Sinan is arrested by Homeland Security as a suspected terrorist, leaving Jeannie scrambling to reach her husband and recover their child from foster care. When Jeannie, too, disappears, a reporter unearths truths that alter our perception of all that has transpired. Freely (The Other Rebecca), who has translated Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk's recent works (e.g., Snow), possesses an exceptional command of language: her sentences are so apt, they jump out at you. The ending is a letdown, but that is a forgivable failing, all things considered. In this ingenious novel about appearance and reality, it is difficult to predict what will happen next or what it means, but once you start this book, you will not put it down. Strongly recommended for general collections.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA
Furst, Alan. The Spies of Warsaw. Random. Jun. 2008. c.288p. ISBN 978-1-4000-6602-5. $25. FFurst's latest novel is sure to be counted as one of the very best of the historical espionage genre. Literate, admirably plotted, and featuring a memorable protagonist, it is realistic and sad but hopeful and romantic. A highly competent French army officer, Jean-François Mercier is assigned in 1937 to military attaché duty in Warsaw, a position recognized by all as an opportunity, if not a duty, to engage in spying. Mercier is a World War I combat-wounded hero, a widower whose behavior reveals a nobility and a sense of honor mostly lacking in today's fiction heroes. Using Polish and German agents, he engages in thrilling derring-do and soon recognizes the sinister intentions of the Nazis, which the French high command apparently chooses to ignore. He does his best to alert the French General Staff, especially as to German invasion strategy. Furst brilliantly captures the setting, along with the cynicism of the Warsaw sociopolitical scene. His presentation of Mercier's romantic interludes with a Parisian woman of Polish heritage is sophisticated, elegant, and discreet. Enthusiastically recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/08.]—Jonathan Pearce, California State Univ., Stanislaus
Gruber, Michael. The Forgery of Venus. Morrow. Apr. 2008. c.336p. ISBN 978-0-06-087448-3. $24.95. FIn his latest thriller, Gruber (The Book of Air and Shadows) tells the story of Chaz Wilmot, a talented painter in the style of the Old Masters who is unable to make a living in the art world of today. His salvation comes when he is summoned to Italy to restore a ceiling painted by Tiepolo. Once there, he realizes that the job is not so much a restoration as it is a forgery. His work on the ceiling earns him the interest of a wealthy patron who hires him to paint other forgeries. Problems arise when Chaz begins to relive situations from his past and then travel back to the 17th century, where he becomes the Spanish artist Velázquez. Soon, he is no longer sure of even his own identity. Is he losing his mind, or is someone trying to make him think so? Gruber writes with a deft hand, creating a fallen hero who is likable despite his faults. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/07.]—Nanci Milone Hill, Nevins Memorial Lib., Methuen, MA
Haigh, Jennifer. The Condition. Harper: HarperCollins. Jun. 2008. c.384p. ISBN 978-0-06-075578-2. $25.95. FHaigh's third novel (after Baker Towers) begins and ends with a McKotch family gathering on Cape Cod. When Gwen McKotch is diagnosed with Turner's syndrome, her parents use the diagnosis and the subsequent treatment of her condition as a battleground for their already faltering marriage. Their eventual divorce affects differently each of the three children, impacting their thinking and actions into adulthood. Family interactions are sketchy at best—until Gwen's finding love while on a Caribbean vacation gets everyone talking. The communication results in forgiveness, if not actual understanding, and a surprising reunion back on Cape Cod brings the story full circle. Haigh creates a realistic family dynamic from richly drawn characters, capturing the family members' various expectations of and assumptions about one another. Compelling; highly recommended for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/08.]—Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Providence
Hannan, Chris. Missy. Farrar. Jun. 2008. c.304p. ISBN 978-0-374-19983-8. $24. FThis debut novel from Scottish playwright Hannan traverses the 19th-century American Southwest, a setting colorfully filled with opium smugglers, mule thieves, natives, and Civil War stragglers. Dropped in the center of the action is Dol McQueen, a brassy teenage prostitute struggling to hang on to a fortune in stolen opium. Hannan writes this character with impeccable style, crafting a vivid portrait whose emotional notes ring true. One cannot help but root for Dol as she withdraws onto the wagon trail, her pursuers ever near. This is a fantastic debut novel suitable for all public and academic libraries.—Christopher Bussmann, Pratt Inst. Lib., Brooklyn, NY
Hay, Elizabeth. Late Nights on Air. Counterpoint. Apr. 2008. c.376p. ISBN 978-1-58243-408-7. $24. FAgainst the backdrop of a judicial inquiry into a proposed construction of a gas pipeline across the Arctic that would threaten the northern environment and the native way of life, this novel follows an engaging assortment of characters working in the Yellowknife CBC radio station in the mid-1970s Canadian North. Inspired by a radio drama about adventurer John Hornby, who traveled extensively through the Northwest Territory before starving, Gwen Symon arrives as a dewy-eyed newcomer with dreams of working behind the scenes in radio. Mentored by the talented but hard-drinking station manager, Gwen ends up working the late shift on air. She gradually comes into her own, just as radio makes way for television and the station crew begins to disband. Before they do, Gwen and friends set out on a journey to retrace Hornby's route. Equal parts Northern Exposure and Lost in the Barrens, this novel, already the winner of Canada's prestigious Giller Prize, compellingly captures one of the many small moments in which the Canadian North began to lose its essence. A strong choice for all libraries.—Barbara Love, Kingston Frontenac P.L., Kingston, Ont.
Hemon, Aleksandar. The Lazarus Project. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). May 2008. ISBN 978-1-59448-988-4. $24.95. FAfter two short story collections (The Question of Bruno; Nowhere Man), MacArthur Award recipient Hemon brings us a novel worth reading with as much fire as its composition must have demanded. The New York Times rightfully calls Hemon "not simply gifted but necessary." Reading Hemon's image-viscous prose is like anxiously wading through dark emotion. It's the story of Brik, who fled to Chicago from Sarajevo during war, married a neurosurgeon, and became a writer. Obsessed with the story of Lazarus Averbuch—an Eastern European immigrant who was murdered in 1908 in Chicago, five years after escaping the pogroms—Brik returns with photographer friend Rora to Eastern Europe to immerse himself in his and Lazarus's old lives. Through Rora's stories of wartime Sarajevo and glimpses of Brik's life, we understand their outsider anguish in America. Also, through flashbacks of Lazarus's death, Hemon reveals the other mystery. This story could be compared with Jonathan Safran-Foer's Everything Is Illuminated in that it's one character's Eastern European search for enlightenment. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08.]—Stephen Morrow, Athens, OH
Jacobs, Kate. Comfort Food. Putnam. May 2008. c.352p. ISBN 978-0-399-15465-2. $24.95. FJacobs follows her debut novel, The Friday Night Knitting Club, with this much stronger second effort. About to turn 50, Augusta "Gus" Simpson is feeling old. When the ratings of the cooking show she hosts fall, the network owner forces Gus to take on a new producer, a new format, and a new cohost, Carmen Vega, Miss Spain 1999. Despite Carmen's culinary institute degree, Gus is not impressed, and it's dislike at first sight. However, the trial show, thrown together with the assistance of Gus's two daughters, an ex-boyfriend, and the hunky producer, ends up a hit, and suddenly, Gus must nurture this uncooperative group. Jacobs adds a touch of reality by including celebrity chefs such as Rachael Ray. The book's only flaw is the unnecessary addition of a character who wins an appearance on the show. Otherwise, Gus and the show's cast, with their humor, moods, and romance, are the sparks that bring this warm and irresistible story to life. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08; Julia Roberts is set to star in the movie adaptation of The Friday Night Knitting Club.—Ed.]—Lesa M. Holstine, Glendale P.L., AZ
Judson, Daniel. The Water's Edge. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Jun. 2008. c.384p. ISBN 978-0-312-35254-7. $24.95. FTwo mutilated bodies hung from a bridge in the Hamptons on Long Island, NY, seem to be an obvious message but to whom? Jake Bechet, a former boxer and reformed enforcer for a South American gangster, is made to investigate (if he doesn't, severe harm will come to his friends). Tommy Miller, a retired PI, discovers that his former lover somehow is connected to one of the slain men and begins searching for her. Kay Barton, a former cop removed from the force, tries to help Tommy investigate. All three characters have been hiding from their pasts by withdrawing from life, but each is compelled to act out of concern for others. The nearly constant rain and fog have a way of concealing actions and washing away past deeds. As in his previous suspense novels set in the Hamptons (e.g., The Darkest Place), Judson here makes precise use of street and village names, which reflects an insider's knowledge of the dark underside of the glittering Hamptons. With the setting and weather functioning like additional characters, the suspense builds relentlessly over a mere 24 hours to a climax that offers no simple resolution but possible redemption. Recommended for all popular fiction collections.—Roland Person, Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale
Lee, Linda Francis. The Ex-Debutante. St. Martin's. Apr. 2008. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-312-35496-1. $23.95. FLawyer and former debutante Carlisle Wainwright Cushing fled Texas for Boston a few years ago and found career success and love. But when Carlisle's oft-married mother pressures her to handle her latest divorce and a letter from a dear family member asks her to save their hometown's debutante ball, Carlisle feels the tug of family ties. To the concern of her employer and the chagrin of her fiancé, she takes a leave of absence from her job and her relationship to fix things at home. Further complicating matters is that her fiancé has no idea that she comes from money, and the man representing her mother's soon-to-be ex is none other than Carlisle's first love, the still dreamy Jack Blair. Lee's second novel (after The Devil in the Junior League) is a fun and engaging story about the crazy things women do for love and family. The witty first-person narrative is an absolute pleasure to read. Highly recommended for popular fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/07.]—Samantha Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY
Lee, Wendy. Happy Family. Black Cat: Grove. Jun. 2008. c.240p. ISBN 978-0-8021-7046-0. pap. $14. F"Happy family" is not just the name of a dish on a Chinese menu—it also refers ironically to the relationships that Hua Wu discovers in her new home, New York City. Originally from Fuzhou, China, Hua Wu spends most of her time missing her homeland and her grandmother before connecting in a West Village park with Jane Templeton and her daughter, Lily, who was adopted from China. Soon, the young Chinese woman leaves her restaurant job to nanny for Jane and Richard, Jane's husband. A strong bond quickly grows between Hua Wu and Lily; when the familial facade finally fractures, Hua Wu takes the steps that she believes are necessary to protect Lily. First novelist Lee's craftsmanship is evident in sparse but expressive prose. She carefully and insightfully handles the contentious issue of the adoption of Chinese children. Aside from characters who are flat in comparison with Hua Wu, this debut delivers on the promise of Lee's interesting premise. Recommended for large fiction collections.—Faye A. Chadwell, Oregon State Univ. Lib., Corvallis
Marciano, Francesca. The End of Manners. Pantheon. May 2008. c.272p. ISBN 978-0-375-42510-3. $23.95. FThe narrator of Marciano's (Casa Rossa) contemporary novel is an Italian photojournalist who, having written many stories on such difficult subjects as AIDS in Africa, begins to feel "like a thief, intruding on people's grief, waiting like a vulture for the right second to click the shutter." Maria grows increasingly depressed and withdraws, eventually drifting into food photography. Then, after some time, her agent persuades her to go to Afghanistan with Imo Glass, a flamboyant London-based journalist, to do a story on Afghan women who attempt suicide in order to avoid arranged marriages. Together dealing with the unending problems of language, cultural differences, unreliable transportation, and security issues, Maria and Imo enter into a friendship that heals her in many ways, and Maria leaves Afghanistan with an appreciation for the country, a true sympathy for its citizens, and the realization that this experience has made her grow. Writing with grace and heartfelt emotion, Marciano, both a novelist and an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, is a born storyteller. Her engaging work is strongly recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/08.]—Lisa Rohrbaugh, East Palestine Memorial P.L., OH
Mernit, Billy. Imagine Me and You. Shaye Areheart: Harmony. Apr. 2008. c.272p. ISBN 978-0-307-39537-5. $23. FIn his debut novel, story analyst and creative writing teacher Mernit (Writing the Romantic Comedy) offers up a romantic comedy straight out of a classic Hollywood film. When screenwriter Jordan Moore's exotic and tempestuous wife, Isabella, leaves him and returns to her native Rome, he wracks his brain trying to think of a way to win her back. Jordan soon latches onto the idea of inventing a lover for himself, which would spare him the mess of actually having to be unfaithful and make Isabella so jealous, she would come back to him. Naturally, as always happens with a scheme such as this, complications ensue before giving way to a rather confusing ending. Attempting to put his own stamp on the genre, Mernit laces his comedy liberally with tragedy—with mixed results. Interesting characters disappear as soon as we desire to know them better, and absorbing story lines drop off just as the laughs—or tears—start coming on strong. Mernit is a promising talent who might better hone his focus and definition. Recommended for larger fiction collections.—Leigh Wright, Bridgewater, NJ
Meyer, Stephenie. The Host. Little, Brown. May 2008. c.640p. ISBN 978-0-316-06804-8. $25.99. FMeyer's YA vampire novels (Breaking Dawn will be out in August) have been touted in the Wall Street Journal as successors to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. And with a fan base that has grown exponentially with each new release, they may not be far off. All of which makes the publication of Meyer's first adult novel even more noteworthy. It lives up to the hype, blending science fiction and romance in a way that has never worked so well. In this page-turner, Meyer explores what happens to relationships when two beings inhabit the same physical body. Earth has been overrun by an alien species called Souls, which invade human bodies and erase personalities. As the novel opens, Melanie Stryder, one of the few human holdouts, has been captured by the aliens and is implanted with a Soul named Wanderer, who is something of a legend among her own kind because of the many hosts and planets she has experienced. Inhabiting a human mind and body is unlike anything Wanderer has ever known, and soon she finds that Melanie isn't quite willing to give up to this invader. Overwhelmed by Melanie's memories and feelings, Wanderer finds herself driven to reconnect with Melanie's old life. As with her vampire novels, Meyer will make new fans of readers "who don't read books with aliens." Highly recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08.]—Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI
Mo Yan. Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out. Arcade, dist. by Little, Brown. 2008. c.552p. tr. from Chinese by Howard Goldblatt. ISBN 978-1-55970-853-1. $26. FMo Yan's (Big Breasts & Wide Hips) latest epic novel spans the years 1950–2000 and opens with landowner Ximen Nao, executed in Mao's Land Reform Movement of 1948, being fried to a crisp in hell. After negotiating with the king of the underworld, Nao returns to his village reincarnated in turn as a donkey, an ox, a pig, a dog, a monkey, and, finally, a big-headed boy. Though the concept is intriguing, the existence of multiple narrators often makes the story difficult to follow (the list of some dozen characters in the opening does, at least, help readers keep track of who's who). Also, the author liberally references a character sharing his own name who is very similar to himself throughout the story. These references seem unnecessary, narcissistic, and annoyingly disruptive to the narrative flow. Yan does manage to convey the difficulties of village life, complex character relationships, and occasional humor. But his work is not for the average reader and requires immense patience to follow through to the end. Academic and large public libraries with collections of translated works by Chinese authors will probably want to consider.—Shirley N. Quan, Orange Cty. P.L., Santa Ana, CA
Mosley, Walter. The Tempest Tales. Black Classic. May 2008. c.183p. ISBN 978-1-57478-043-7. $19.95. FTempest Landry, a quick-witted African American resident of Harlem, NY, is walking home when a case of mistaken identity leads to his being shot by police. He finds himself standing in line at the gates of heaven waiting to talk to Saint Peter, who reviews his past transgressions and finds him wanting. Tempest is denied entry into heaven and ordered to hell. Believing his "sins" justified and heaven refusing to see the full truth, Tempest refuses to go and challenges Saint Peter to prove to him that he is a sinner. And so begins Tempest's return to Earth with a denizen of heaven, Joshua Angel, to convince Tempest of Saint Peter's edict. Of course, the devil wants Tempest's soul and is scheming to use Tempest to destroy heaven. In a salute to Langston Hughes's Jesse B. Semple stories, Mosley, best-known for his Easy Rawlins mystery series, has written a humorous, thought-provoking, and accessible literary tale of the concept and treatment of sin and sinners in contemporary times. Recommended for popular fiction and African American fiction collections.—Joy St. John, Henderson Dist. P.L., NV
Muñoz Molina, Antonio. A Manuscript of Ashes. Harcourt. Aug. 2008. c.320p. tr. from Spanish by Edith Grossman. ISBN 978-0-15-101410-1. $25. FOriginally published in Spanish, Muñoz Molina's first novel appears here in a finely wrought English translation for the first time. It is an intellectual, double-barrel detective story that superficially concerns itself with a murderer's identity and artistically with the narrator's identity. Minaya, a university student in Madrid, returns to his uncle's home in the mythical town of Mágina to write a dissertation on the late forgotten poet Jacinto Solana. With the maid's help 32 years after the fact, Minaya uncovers the identity of his uncle's wife's murderer. Furthermore, as it turns out, Solana is not only very much alive, but Minaya also plays an important role in this work's creation. Using memory as a narrative device, Muñoz Molina guides readers to the surprise ending through a sequence of events that flit back and forth between the Spanish civil war era and the postbellum period. Already a contemporary classic, this work—whose nonlinear story is developed via changing narrative voices and whose hermetic text requires persistence and close observation—is an enigmatic gem in the very best metafiction tradition. Recommended for large public libraries and for academic libraries that collect contemporary translations.—Lawrence Olszewski, OCLC Lib., Dublin, OH
O'Connell, Jack. The Resurrectionist. Algonquin. Apr. 2008. c.320p. ISBN 978-1-56512-576-6. $24.95. FNoir mixed with elements of dark fantasy may seem like an odd combination, but novelist O'Connell (Word Made Flesh; The Skin Palace) pulls it off in a strange and extremely original work. Sweeney has brought his comatose son, Danny, to the renowned Peck Clinic for treatment. But he soon discovers that despite its stellar reputation, the clinic and the surrounding town aren't what they appear to be. Soon Sweeney is not only involved with clinic staff but also a group of bikers who believe they have the answers Sweeney needs. The fantasy element enters in the form of Limbo, Danny's favorite comic, chapters of which are interspersed with happenings at the clinic. Although difficult to explain succinctly, the tale of Limbo and Danny's own story are related. In the end, this unusual novel may disappoint fans of straightforward mystery, but those open to something different should be pleasantly surprised. Recommended for adventurous fiction collections.—Craig Shufelt, Fort McMurray P.L., A.B.
Olshan, Joseph. The Conversion. St. Martin's. 2008. c.288p. ISBN 978-0-312-37391-7. $24.95. FAuthor and translator Russell Todaro's life as an American expat in Paris is shaken by the sudden death of his lover, Ed, a successful poet. Ed's unpublished memoir manuscript remains with Russell as he leaves Paris, much to the chagrin of Ed's publishers. In a historic villa in Tuscany, Russell tries to keep a low profile while a guest of Italian author Marina Vezzoli and her reclusive husband. Liaisons with a local police officer and the reappearance of Michel, a married lover from Paris, complicate the tale. Russell's writing career, barely mobile in any case, has completely stalled. Can he work through the petty intrigue and manipulation that surround him and create a career of his own? Compelling settings and detail help to balance the considerable weight of the self-absorbed characters. With his eighth novel, Olshan (Clara's Heart) should find an appreciative audience among Italianites and other fans of European-set fiction. Recommended for larger fiction collections, particularly for gay literature collections.—Jenn B. Stidham, Houston Community Coll. Northeast, Houston
Palahniuk, Chuck. Snuff. Doubleday. May 2008. c.208p. ISBN 978-0-385-51788-1. $24.95. FSix hundred men in undershorts, gooey with bronzer and barbecue-chip residue, wait for a tumble with an aging porn actress attempting to set the record for the greatest number of sex acts in a single film—a film she may not survive. Only Palahniuk (Rant) would devise this off-putting premise; only he, too, could manage to build it into an entertaining and suspenseful dark comedy. The story is told from the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, Mr. 600, and the female event coordinator, all of whom have hidden agendas and secret ties to the performer upstairs. Don't expect titillation here: every detail underlines the degradations of sexual obsession and the pornography industry. But this quick read brims with fascinating trivia about the film industry's dirty secrets—e.g., the dangers some entertainers are willing to risk for fame. Snuff isn't for everyone, perhaps also not for every library, but readers who can stomach its subject matter will find striking characters, sharp parody, and a tight plot. The ending, with its raunchy Shakespearean twist, stretches believability but makes its symbolic point. Highly recommended for mature readers; expect high demand from Palahniuk fans. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08.]—Neil Hollands, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA
Robinson, Roxana. Cost. Sarah Crichton: Farrar. Jun. 2008. c.384p. ISBN 978-0-374-27187-9. $25. FThe mildly strained Lambert family is in terrible trouble. New York art professor Julia is spending the summer in her ramshackle Maine home with her very elderly parents. Julia's older son, Steven, arrives for a visit and shatters the surface serenity with his suspicion that his younger brother, Jack, is a heroin addict spiraling out of control. When Steve's worst fears are confirmed, Julia's ex-husband, Wendell, brings Jack to Maine for an intervention, conducted by Ralph Carpenter, a tough ex-addict who runs a Florida recovery program. Robinson's fourth novel (after Sweetwater) spares her fictional family nothing in this tale of hell. Each of the Lamberts is forced to look down the wrong end of the heroin needle, one horrific, sordid, heartbreaking detail after another. With exquisitely raw honesty, Robinson offers no hope for this nearly always-deadly addiction. As Jack's descent picks up speed toward the end, the Lamberts are drowning in the kind of intolerable grief borne of having to mourn the loss of a loved one before the heart stops beating. Highly recommended.—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
Rosen, Elisabeth Payne. Hallam's War. Unbridled. May 2008. c.480p. ISBN 978-1-932961-49-2. $25.95. FA big, sprawling Civil War epic, Rosen's first novel contains enough romance and history to draw Miss Scarlett's fans like flies to honey. Hugh Hallam, a careful and thoughtful farmer, and his wife, Serena, leave behind the luxury of Charleston, SC, for western Tennessee. Hugh works to develop improved cotton crops, and together with their children, the Hallams craft an idyllic life at Palmyra. Of course, that life depends on slave labor, and with the Civil War looming, the Hallams closely follow the politics and national trends that may change their way of life. The voice of antislavery sentiment comes courtesy of newsman John Varick, who has been traveling through the South working on a background report. He stays with the Hallams but leaves abruptly after quarreling with Hugh. There's some annoying use of dialect, but plenty of battle detail and frequent appearances by real historical figures add up to a winner for the historical fiction crowd.—Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., VA
Smith, Alexander McCall. The Miracle at Speedy Motors. Pantheon. Apr. 2008. c.256p. ISBN 978-0-375-42448-9. $21.95. FThe title of this ninth novel in the popular "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series is somewhat misleading. As usual, not all that much happens in the lives of lady detective Precious Ramotswe, her assistant Grace Makutsi, or her husband Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, but with these gentle tales, it is all in the telling. Will Mma Ramotswe have to sell some of her prize cattle to cover unexpected expenses? Reading each new installment set in Botswana is like spending time with old friends. While these novels are becoming more predictable and sentimental, they still brim with warmth, charm, and wonderfully sly humor not found in McCall Smith's other series set in Scotland (The Sunday Philosophy Club). These stories are not for everyone, but the many addicted could probably read a new one every year until Mma Ramotswe's cows come home. For all popular fiction collections.—Leslie Patterson, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence, RI
Stein, Garth. The Art of Racing in the Rain. Harper: HarperCollins. May 2008. c.336p. ISBN 978-0-06-153793-6. $23.95. FEnzo narrates his life story, beginning with his impending death. Enzo's not afraid of dying, as he's seen a television documentary on the Mongolian belief that a good dog will reincarnate as a man. Yes, Enzo is a dog. And he belongs to Denny: husband, father, customer service technician. Denny's dream is to be a professional race-car driver, and Enzo recounts the triumphs and tragedies—medical, financial, and legal—they share in this quest, the dangers of the racetrack being the least of their obstacles. Enzo ultimately teaches Denny and the reader that persistence and joie de vivre will see them through to the checkered flag. Stein (Raven Stole the Moon) creates a patient, wise, and doggish narrator that is more than just fluff and collar. This should appeal to fans of both dogs and car racing; recommended for public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08; see also the Q&A with Stein, p. 74.]—Dan Forrest, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green
Sutcliffe, William. Whatever Makes You Happy. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Apr. 2008. c.304p. ISBN 978-1-59691-450-6. $23.95. FSutcliffe's (Are You Experienced?) latest lad-lit novel explores the lives of a group of young British layabouts and their concerned mothers. At age 34 with decent jobs but no wives or families to complete the package, Matt, Paul, and Daniel need to grow up, decide lifelong friends Carol, Gillian, and Helen. When another Mother's Day passes without a card or flower, the women hatch a plan to each drop in on her son unannounced for a week's visit and get some changes in motion. The scheming moms all have some luck, from Carol setting up a new romance for Matt to Helen finally facing Paul's homosexuality and meeting his boyfriend. Told from each mother/son pair's perspective and written in a quirky, quick-witted style reminiscent of Nick Hornby, Sutcliffe's book keeps you chuckling and turning pages to see if these mothers' outdated antics will make a difference in their slacker sons' lives. Recommended for public libraries.—Beth Gibbs, Davidson, NC
Uri, Helene. Honey Tongues. Norvik, dist. by Dufour. 2008. 192p. tr. from Norwegian by Kari Dickson. ISBN 978-1-870041-72-0. pap. $24.95. FAs the 25th anniversary of their sewing circle-turned-supper club nears, journalist Tamara, translator Sara, teacher Eva, and homemaker Liss plan a trip to Copenhagen to celebrate. Uri's second novel (published in Norway in 2002) is a glimpse into the lives of these four urban women in the six months leading up to that fateful trip. Between meal preparation and gossip, readers learn that there is much more to these women than meets the eye. Uri gets into the minds of her characters, highlighting all that is spiteful, deceitful, and naive about them, eventually revealing the secrets, lies, and codependencies that have kept them together for all these years. The result is a novel both compelling and horrifying. Dickson's adept translation eases the navigation of the complex psychological landscapes. Most likely to be purchased by academic libraries, this novel is also appropriate for other large and specialized fiction collections.—Karen Walton Morse, Univ. at Buffalo Libs., NY
Veitch, Kate. Without a Backward Glance. Plume: Penguin Group (USA). Jun. 2008. c.384p. ISBN 978-0-452-28947-5. pap. $14. FVeitch's debut novel is a compelling tale of a family fractured by abandonment. On Christmas eve 1967, Rosemarie McDonald, a young wife and mother, walks out of her family's home near Melbourne, Australia, and never returns. Over the next 40 years, her four children maintain close relationships with one another, establishing their own families and now helping to care for their aging father, whose grasp on reality is slipping. We meet the oldest, Deborah, authoritative and controlling; charming, artistic, and charismatic James; obsessive-compulsive Robert, always responsible; and the youngest, Meredith, flighty and fearful, all plagued by their mother's abandonment. Then James, in London on business, crosses paths with Rosemarie. The balance of the novel focuses on just how and when he will reintroduce his mother to his siblings. Veitch has written a powerful and engrossing story of family interactions complete with family members' frailties and strengths. Chockablock with rich, idiomatic Australian slang, this novel includes a glossary. Recommended for all fiction collections where Anita Shreve and Anne Tyler are popular.—Andrea Tarr, Corona P.L., CA
Whitlock, Nathan. A Week of This: (A Novel in Seven Days). ECW, dist. by IPG. Apr. 2008. c.264p. ISBN 978-1-55022-815-1. $26.95. FIt takes only a week to discover the details of people's lives. Patrick and Amanda Mercer live in Dunbridge, a town outside of Toronto, and, as fall becomes winter, they face an increasingly stale future. Patrick owns a sports store in the mall that is taking much of his time, money, and energy, and Manda works for a call service that might move out of town. Manda's brother Ken is mentally slow with a scarred face, and her stepbrother Marcus is perennially out of work. Living in Patrick's father's house, Manda tries to hold her family together, but Ken seems unhappy with his residence, Marcus's romance with Kelly is falling apart, and Patrick is unwilling to face the failure of his business. Despite all this, Whitlock, winner of the inaugural Emerging Artist in Creative Writing Award, draws a sympathetic and occasionally humorous portrait of these people's lives. The overlaying of the blandness of the town, the grayness of the weather, and the gradual eroding of people's dreams lead not to the depressive work one would think but to an acceptance of the ongoing routine of life. In the end, there is a calm resolution suggesting that this is what life has dealt you; keep on going. Recommended.—Joshua Cohen, Mid-Hudson Lib. Syst., Poughkeepsie, NY
Short Stories
A Stranger Among Us: Stories of Cross Cultural Collision and Connection. Other Voices Bks. May 2008. c.392p. ed. by Stacy Bierlein. ISBN 978-0-9767177-3-7. pap. $22.95. FThe founding editor of Other Voices Books, Bierlein has compiled 30 stories about the experiences of travelers and immigrants with unfamiliar people in foreign lands. The authors included—ranging from Nathan Englander and Josip Novakovich to Luis Alfaro and Amanda Eyre Ward—come from countries like Zimbabwe, Morocco, Israel, Bangladesh, India, Croatia, Nepal, as well as the United States and Canada; many have won various awards and garnered fame in their homelands. Some are being published in America for the first time. Overall, their stories are engaging, moving, and well written. "The Professor's Office," for example, tells the story of Mrs. Kanh, a Vietnamese immigrant who lives on the outskirts of Los Angeles and watches her husband fall victim to Alzheimer's. "Motherhood and Terrorism" delves into the daily lives of oil wives living in war-torn areas of the Middle East who escape their fears by having children and buying expensive things. "Bhakthi in the Water" is about a middle-aged Indian woman in the United States who gets over her divorce and the death of her mother as she overcomes her fear of water. Recommended for comprehensive short fiction collections.—Christina Bauer, Library Journal
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