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September/October
2001 Book Sense 76 Picks
Unique and provocative selections from a great diversity of voices...all personally recommended by the independent booksellers of America.
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Ash Garden
by Bock, Dennis
(Knopf, $23.00, 0375413022)
"With all the attention given to the glory of the 'Greatest Generation,' this book provides a subtle balancing with the scars and emotional crevasses created by WWII. Bock does not take sides but presents us directly with the consequences of the necessary choices made by all involved. I was initially reluctant to share their horror, but the art of storytelling and the richness of the characters urged me on." - Jean Riescher Westcott, Olsson's Books & Records, Arlington, VA
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
by Dai, Sijie
(Knopf, $20.00, 037541309X)
"When two boys exiled to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution discover a suitcase filled with books by Balzac, Dumas, Flaubert, and Melville, their lives are 'seduced, overwhelmed, spellbound by the outside world.' This book is a treasure, from its small trim-size and beautiful cover to its delightful closing line." - Karl Kilian, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX
 Carter
Beats the Devil
by Gold,
Glen David
(Hyperion, $24.95, 0786867345) "You will be carried away by the clarity
of the historical detail, the reality of the magic, and the warmth and fullness
of the characters. Gold certainly knows how to grab and keep your attention
until the last page. I will definitely suggest this book to all of my friends."
- Andra Tracy, Out Word Bound, Indianapolis, IN
Deadwood Beetle, The
by Dressler, Mylene
(BlueHen, $23.95, 0399148051)
"I was caught up emotionally and intellectually from the very first page, and was mesmerized by Tristan's interior monologue. And, oh, those letters from his son! Great for book groups; a very thought-provoking read." - Laura L. Hansen, Bookin' It, Little Falls, MN
 Doghouse
Roses
by Earle,
Steve
(Houghton Mifflin, $22.00, 0618040269) "A great songwriter and singer,
Earle goes from the stage to the page with this powerful, wonderfully varied
first book of stories. Stories of hard-lived lives and tender moments, and people
making, losing, finding their way through the morass in search of life and love.
The book's title says it all: Doghouse roses are those convenience-store roses
bought to make amends with a sweetheart. These stories are roses, blooms amidst
the thorniness of life and death." -Rick Simonson, Elliott Bay Book
Co., Seattle, WA
 Eva
Moves the Furniture
by Livesey,
Margot
(Holt, $23.00, 0805068015) "This poignant story of the life of a woman
who loses her mother at birth and the 2 mysterious companions who guide her
through life is simply magical." - Liz Morgan, Village Bookstore, Menomonee
Falls, WI
 Everything
You Need
by Kennedy,
A. L.
(Knopf, $25.95, 037540791X) "The number of residents in a writer's colony
on an island off Wales is kept, by mutual agreement, to seven, including a successful
but suicidal author of popular horror novels. When a new resident is accepted,
the stage is set for a moving and unforgettable novel of friendship, despair,
and redemption. One of the best books of the year." - Bob Sommer &
Gayle Shanks, Changing Hands, Tempe, AZ
Fixer Chao
by Ong, Han
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $25.00, 0374155755)
"A Filipino hustler reinvents himself as a feng shui expect. He and his partner go on to sell their corrupted, westernized version of Eastern wisdom to New York City's highest bidder. Very funny, and a commentary on our use of feng shui that is richly deserved." - Drew Phillips, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
 Hero's
Walk, The
by Badami, Anita Rau
(Algonquin, $23.95, 1565123123)
"Set in a small town in India full of vivid characters, this is a powerful story of parental love. I laughed a bit and wept a bit, and couldn't put it down." - Nan Metashvili, The Babbling Book, Haines, AK
In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd
by Menendez, Ana
(Grove, $23.00, 0802116884)
"This debut collection of short stories set in Havana and Miami capture not only the exile's nostalgia for a lost home, but also the immigrant's sense of hope. Wonderful." - Michael Barnard, Rakestraw Books, Danville, CA
Love Among the Ruins
by Clark, Robert
(Norton, $23.95, 0393020150)
"Clark is a seriously underappreciated author. He is an elegant writer, and this heartbreaking tale of ordinary folk whose lives take extraordinary turns raises questions about love, truth, faith, and infidelity that are timeless, but his treatment is fresh, authentic, and never sentimental. Robert Clark is a writer who deserves our attention and support." - Cissie Wellons, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC
 Loverboy
by Redel,
Victoria
(Graywolf, $21.95, 1555973221) "This novel has all the suspense of Emmanuel
Carrere's novel La Moustache together with the off-beat humanism of Nabokov's
Lolita. Quite a read!" - Nat Herold, Atticus Books, Amherst,
MA
Mirabilis
by Cokal,
Susann
 (BlueHen,
$25.95, 0399147535) "Cokal creates a wonderful tension between the inventive,
often outrageous elements of her story and the precision of her style. From
the complex plot, the adventures of a wet nurse in medieval France, and her
unlikely comrades to the sensual evocation of time and place, her story embodies
what's best in historical fiction. All her impeccable research is subsumed into
a spellbinding, absolutely present tale." - Marjorie Darraugh, Pegasus
Books, Berkeley, CA
 Moon
Women
by Duncan, Pamela
(Delacorte, $23.95, 0385335180)
"A wonderful new southern voice. This novel depicts the lives of three generations of North Carolina women in the Moon family: Ruth Ann Moon, her wild runaway daughter Ashley, and her octogenarian mother Marvelle. Duncan writes from the heart and will touch you deeply." - Dana Devito, Moravian Book Shop, Bethlehem, PA
Never Change
by Berg, Elizabeth
(Pocket, $23.95, 0743411323) "What could be just another sad love story turns
into a great read when written by Berg. As usual, this author really pays attention
to her characters. Berg fans will not be disappointed. And for those who have
not read her books, it's time!" - Michelle Presta, Reading on Walden
Bookstore, Chicago, IL
 Niagara
Falls All Over Again
by McCracken, Elizabeth
(Dial, $23.95, 0385318375)
"From the end of vaudeville through success to eventual obscurity, Rocky and Mose -- an Abbott and Costello-esque duo -- pratfall, double take, and punch line away 30 years. On stage and off, performing is the love of their lives. This book is a sweetly sly portrait of funny people who bring out the best and worst in each other. Reading McCracken is like being invited into the most marvelous club, where, through powerful storytelling and great affection, you are allowed in on the joke." - Felice Farrell, Ariel Booksellers, New Paltz, NY
Root Worker, The
by Burton, Rainelle
(Overlook, $24.95, 1585671401)
"This disturbing story of voodoo and the horrible impact it had on the young protagonists' life and the courage and strength with which she prevailed, felt so real I had to keep reminding myself that it was a work of fiction. It is a strong book, masterfully written." - Jill Miner, Saturn Books, Gaylord, MI
 Slammerkin
by Donoghue,
Emma
(Harcourt, $24.00, 0151006725) "The bits and pieces of historical fact
and the threads of truth that the story is based on (life as a prostitute in
18th century England) hold this novel together. Donoghue has an incredible skill
for weaving together words on the page." - Helen Roman, Brigit Books,
St. Petersburg, FL
Speed of Light
by Rosner, Elizabeth
(Ballantine, $23.95, 0345442245)
"I LOVE this book. It's absolutely incredible. Rosner's writing is poetic and haunting. The story is told from the points of view of three characters, and their stories of love, loss, and survival are beautifully woven. I thought about this book constantly; in fact, I still am." - Kelsey Hammond, Kepler's Books, Menlo Park, CA
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