Fiction

Auster, Paul. Invisible. Holt. Nov. 2009. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-8050-9080-2. $25. F

Auster's 15th novel at first may sound like another story about the familiar themes the writer's fans have come to expect: Brooklyn and New York, bohemian protagonists and their enigmatic sidekicks, meaningful quests for truth, and convoluted plots realistic enough to keep you from second-guessing the actions of the characters. Indeed, the story incorporates all such elements: divided into four distinct parts, told by three different narrators, and spanning 40 years, it is centered on the relationship among an aspiring Columbia University student-poet, a mysterious professor, and the professor's girlfriend that starts out as friendship but ends in manipulation and murder. Whether such themes still excite longtime Auster fans is less important than his still remarkably strong storytelling—perhaps even more so than in recent works of fiction—that his characters are still unpredictable and full of passion for life, and that once we start reading those masterfully bare sentences, we don't want to stop. VERDICT If you've never read Auster, this is a great place to start and work your way backward to such classics as the City of Glass and Leviathan. If you've been a fan for a long time, you will not be disappointed.—Mirela Roncevic, Library Journal

Nena and Noland are eking out a living in the slums of Manila. Nena takes in laundry, and Noland makes star-shaped lanterns from colorful paper. Noland is a mute ten-year-old, but his buddy Elvis helps him sell the lanterns to drivers stuck in the heavy traffic around the city. Six days before Christmas, a drive-by shooting takes place, and an American is killed and his wife injured. Noland is there when it happens and takes the woman back to his hut to heal her. What begins as an innocent gesture ends in an international incident with accusations of terrorism, politics, and cover-up. In her second novel (after Banana Heat Summer), award-winning author Bobis plumbs the issues of third world poverty and American response, and if the results seem somewhat derivative, this is still a poignant work. VERDICT Readers who enjoyed the film Slumdog Millionaire will appreciate this novel.—Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., OH

Citing a philosopher who recommends that the novel be used to explore the "intimate life of ideas," Chacel (1898–1994), translator of Camus and T.S. Eliot into Spanish, experiments by creating Santiago Hernandez, a middle-class Argentine chemist who grows up in his mother's Spain but is shipped home as Spain begins to self-destruct in the 1930s. In Argentina, he inherits both a factory and a magnificent plantation. Santiago aches to understand the world, observing, for example, that Spain "disappeared" after the defeat of the Republic because it failed to communicate its anguish to the rest of the world and, further, because "truth and falsehood are simply two categories that participate in the context of reality." Three women who complement him in various ways (the German Elfriede, his mother's cousin Herminia, and the Cuban Quitina, whom he marries) help Santiago explore the limits of human reason. VERDICT Much more than a "novel of ideas," this story of Santiago's eventual recognition that his command of reason avails little against the stony silence of an unresponsive God is fresh, bold, and consequential. Highly recommended both as an intellectual exercise and as fiction. —Jack Shreve, Allegany Coll. of Maryland, Cumberland

In an intriguing departure from their two alternative history series on the Civil War and World War II, Gingrich and Forstchen marvelously retell the story of one of the darkest periods in American history, the Christmas of 1776. George Washington's army, defeated and starving, is in tatters and devastated, both physically and emotionally. Washington desperately needs a victory and pins all his hopes on a surprise raid on Hessian headquarters at Trenton, NJ. The battle for Trenton is told through Washington's agonized thoughts, as well as through the viewpoint of Thomas Paine, who wants to recapture the magic of Common Sense and inspire a nation, and Jonathan Van Dorn, an idealistic young American soldier. The American victory at Trenton was far from ordained; instead, it was almost miraculous and probably saved the American Revolution. VERDICT Grim, gritty, realistic, accurate, and splendid, this is a soaring epic of triumph over almost unimaginable odds. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/09.]—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

After her husband's sudden death leaves her in debt, Meg Rosenthal must liquidate everything and jump-start her career. She gets a teaching job at a private boarding school in the upstate New York town of Arcadia Falls, but leaving Long Island luxury is a tough adjustment for Meg's teenaged daughter Sally. Soon after their arrival, a student dies in an accident and Meg discovers that Arcadia Falls is full of secrets. Intermingled with the present-day story is the equally suspenseful tale of the school's two female founders, one of whom died mysteriously. The two mysteries intersect through Meg's doctoral research into the life of one of the women, but just when the resolution seems clear, Goodman throws another plot twist—or two—our way. The final resolution may require a smidgen of suspension of disbelief, but, overall, readers will enjoy Goodman's clear prose and well-drawn characters in this moving story of mothers and daughters and the hard choices women must make. VERDICT As in her previous novels (The Night Villa, The Lake of Dead Languages), Goodman combines gripping suspense with strong characters and artistic themes. Those who read Anita Shreve or Jodi Picoult are likely to become fans.—Beth Lindsay, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman

Responding to poverty and a cultural preference for boys, an Indian mother hides her newborn daughter in an orphanage. The girl is adopted by an Indian-born doctor and his American wife, who live in California. Parallel stories are told of young Asha's life in America, where she is distanced from her native culture, and the growing rift between her adoptive parents, along with the fate of her birth parents and their son, who leave their small village for Mumbai and gradually rise out of poverty. After a slow start and some trite dialog, the book becomes more engrossing, as Asha takes a journalism fellowship in Mumbai and seeks a greater connection to her roots. First novelist Gowda offers especially vivid descriptions of the contrasts and contradictions of modern India. VERDICT Rife with themes that lend themselves to discussion, such as cultural identity, adoption, and women's roles, this will appeal to the book club crowd.—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

Herendeen is to be commended for her daringly original interpretation of Jane Austen's masterpiece. Its exploration of an alternative sexuality as motivating factor in the behavior of the major characters offers brilliant insights into the psychology behind the beloved classic. However, it is a disappointing performance after her impressive debut, The Brotherhood of Philander. The wittily wicked dialog and sensual imagery have lost their sparkle to a more awkwardly mechanical style that tells rather than shows this complex tale of love's triumph over social conventions. While psychologically more compelling, Herendeen's second novel lacks the wit, humor, and sheer panache of her first book. VERDICT Although Austen fans might be intrigued by the novel's clever premise, even the hardiest of them will be put off by the image of Darcy and Wickham shattering a window during a youthful game of baseball.—Cynthia Johnson, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, MA

In Hoffman's charming debut, Cecelia Rose (CeeCee) Honeycutt tells the story of her tragic life and the strong women who stepped in to save her. At age 12, CeeCee realizes her mother, flouncing around Willoughby, OH, in prom dresses and matching shoes, is crazy and the town's laughingstock. Her father is never home, and nothing is going to change so CeeCee buries herself in books as an escape. But her true liberation comes after her mother's tragic death when great-aunt Tootie sweeps CeeCee off to Savannah. There, a group of powerful, independent women offer the young girl love, laughter, and a new chance at life. Readers who enjoy strong female characters will appreciate CeeCee, a survivor despite her heartbreaking childhood, and Aunt Tootie and her friends, all of them steel magnolias. VERDICT Exemplifying Southern storytelling at its best, this coming-of-age novel is sure to be a hit with the book clubs that adopted Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees. Interestingly enough, both novels share the same editor. [Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/09.]—Lesa Holstine, Glendale P.L., AZ

Twelve men make their way to a theater to pose for a photo to be used as the basis for a new painting of The Last Supper. This pastiche is set in the near future in Gdansk, Poland, paralyzed by terrorist attacks during the 19th-century travels of a painter and in much earlier times in real and imaginary Middle Eastern locales. A few problems prevent this book from being a near masterpiece: the irony is laid on too thick, and pages 99–100 contain a terrible spoiler. It's like revealing "whodunit" right in the middle of a mystery, so readers should be strongly advised to skip those pages, which take a little power out of an otherwise spectacular final chapter. VERDICT Huelle addresses some of the same issues found in Nikos Kazantzakis's The Last Temptation of Christ or Christopher Moore's Lamb but in a very different way, yet fans of those authors might enjoy this book. The ultimate ironic act would be to use The Last Supper as a Christmas present. [Lloyd-Jones won the Found in Translation Award for her work on this book.—Ed.]—Jim Dwyer, California State Univ. Lib., Chico

Revenge really is a dish best served cold. McFadyen's fourth Smoky Barrett novel (after The Darker Side) opens with a gaunt, screaming woman, clothed only in a nightgown, thrown from a vehicle, while Barrett attends a colleague's wedding. The woman is a former LAPD homicide detective who went missing several years ago and was presumed dead. As Barrett and her elite FBI team begin to unravel the mystery surrounding this woman's disappearance and eight-year captivity, they find that she is "lucky" when they discover that she's not the only victim of this particular sociopath. This time the most sinister force behind these kidnappings may be more than even Barrett can handle. McFadyen expertly builds the cat-and-mouse suspense to a crescendo and then twists the reader's expectations at the end. VERDICT Recommended for fans of Chelsea Cain's Heartsick and thriller junkies who love an edgy mystery with an unflinchingly twisted sociopath at its core. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/09.]—Susan O. Moritz, Montgomery Cty. P.L., MD

Word for word, sentence for sentence, paragraph for paragraph, Nayman creates a gripping narrative with style and depth. Set in a post-World War II asylum, the cast of characters interact within their defined roles of clinicians, nurses, and patients. However, when Dr. Harrison encounters a mysterious patient with a dark secret in his counseling sessions, the well-defined boundaries that separate the characters slowly erode as their lives intertwine. In the process, the arbitrary lines between sanity and insanity are exposed. Nayman paces the narrative well, with thick, sensuous writing throughout, developing each character with a compelling reality. Much like her collection of short stories, Awake in the Dark, this novel continues to explore the ways in which individuals negotiate and construct their sense of identity. Featuring a plot as rich as the characters, this is a thought-provoking and psychological exploration of love, war, and human identity. VERDICT Readers who enjoyed Ian McEwan's Atonement will enjoy the introspective tone of Nayman's work.—Joshua Finnell, Denison Univ. Lib., Granville, OH

Historical novelist Robbins (War of the Rats) has written a riveting but horrific story of the agonies endured by civilians in a Japanese internment camp in the Philippines during World War II. Starved and brutalized, the internees, mostly Americans, long for their release as U.S. forces grow closer. However, there is the real fear that their captors, who have committed previous atrocities, will massacre them. Narrated by a father and his adult son, along with a Filipino sex slave of the Japanese, Robbins's novel is also the story of incredible courage, compassion, patriotism, and just plain stubbornness in the face of extreme adversity. Although at times difficult to read because of the casual and mindless cruelty depicted, it is well worth the effort as American and Filipino forces join with the inmates to liberate the camp. VERDICT Although the liberation of Los Baños on February 23, 1945, one of the most successful rescue operations in modern military history, is largely forgotten today, Robbins's magnificent story—despite the long ending—will inspire readers to learn more. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/09.]—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Jillian Maxwell was only seven when her stepfather began coming to her room while her mother was out. Now, at age 12, Jillian is afraid to refuse her stepfather for fear he'll move on to her little sister. Narrated from Jillian's perspective, Roby's (Love and Lies) brief novel holds a chilling implication: it's so easy to hide sexual abuse. The author veers a little into the didactic getting the backstory out and setting up the scene, but the story picks up as Jillian shows interest in a boy from school, her stepfather's demands escalate, and her best friend gets sexually involved with the wrong boy. Readers will be cheered when the villain finally gets his comeuppance. VERDICT Adult and teen readers of Jacquelin Thomas and Victoria Christopher Murray will enjoy this African American family drama with its clear message about the insidiousness of sexual abuse and about God helping those who help themselves.—Laurie Cavanaugh, Brockton P.L., MA

Vámos's first novel to be published in English is uncommon in its scope and structure, following 12 generations of a Hungarian family over the past 300 years through the lives of each generation's eldest son. Rather than being fully developed, these men represent all of Hungary through a variety of professions (from vintners and vocalists to businessmen and educators) and live throughout greater Hungary, Germany, and the United States. The chapters read more like short stories, adroitly linked by personal and historical themes. One pertains to the family's Jewish heritage: whether the men accept, embrace, suppress, or reject their patrimony, history is determined to judge them by it. In a final note, Vámos admits that he wanted to write a novel for his father, secretary to László Rajk, minister of the interior and then foreign affairs in the late 1940s who was executed after a show trial. VERDICT Although readers will be swept up and entertained by the breadth of the family's history, they might end up wishing that Vámos had focused more on his relationship with his father, with Rajk's tragic story as a backdrop.—K.H. Cumiskey, Duke Univ., Durham, NC

The stories in Rash's (Serena) aptly titled new collection burn themselves on the memory in much the same way as the photographs Walker Evans took of Southern sharecroppers in the 1930s that were later collected in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Rash's spare narratives are set primarily in today's Appalachia, with families decimated by poverty, drugs, and every other discernible kind of heartache. A pawnshop owner knows all the local addicts by virtue of the junk they bring in for money and becomes an unlikely hero when one of these deals uncovers a family member's disgrace. A husband who no longer knows how to talk to his wife elicits our sympathy even after he communicates his message by slashing her tires. A neglected boy with meth-addict parents finds treasure in a plane wreck he happens upon when his wanderings lead him into Smoky Mountains National Park. VERDICT Rash, who has authored not only fiction but also three volumes of poetry, is a master craftsman who pares down language to its essential elements in these starkly beautiful stories.—Sue Russell, Current Science, Inc., Philadelphia