Review

When Gayl Jones burst back on the literary scene in 1998 after a 20-year absence, she returned with a searing novel, The Healing, a National Book Award finalist. Her latest, Mosquito (Beacon, $28.50, 0807083461), confirms that she's here to stay with an engrossing story of Sojourner Nadine Jane Johnson, a truck driver who discovers a pregnant Mexican illegally hidden in her vehicle. This astounding novel addresses issues of immigration, multiculturalism, nationalism, and identity; Jones's dazzling array of writing techniques is worthy of our attention.