bookpagedev

MusicArts & Culture

The beat goes on

Review by bookpagedev

In the late 1950s, an ambitious, enterprising young Detroit songwriter named Berry Gordy Jr. got his feet wet in the music business. He went on to start Motown Records, a history-making organization that cranked out hit after hit in the mid-1960s and launched the careers of a who’s who of R&andB, soul and pop vocalists. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Mary Wells and Jackie Wilson were the label’s earliest big successes, but following rapidly on their heels were Martha and the Vandellas, the Temptations, the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and later the Jackson 5, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and the Commodores. These artists sold millions of catchy, slickly produced records, successfully bridging the gap between black-made music and the massive white record-buying audience. Four decades later, in Motown: Money, Power, Sex, and Music, author Gerald Posner takes on the daunting task of telling the Motown story. Posner admits that many people affiliated with the company would not grant him interviews. Consequently, he relies heavily on biographies, autobiographies (including those of Gordy and singer Diana Ross) and other published accounts to craft a readable if, at times, somewhat overly glib chronicle of events. The Motown story is mostly Gordy’s, and Posner focuses in detail on the head honcho’s predilection for authoritarian and paternalistic control, his many marriages and affairs, his eight children with a variety of partners, his exorbitant lifestyle and his attempts to shepherd Motown’s growth in the ever-changing music market. Despite Posner’s effort to humanize his subject, Gordy comes across as an egomaniac devoid of moral compass or business ethics a black man who exploited black artists. Lawsuits about royalties, rights and ownership remain pending even today. Eventually, after the company moved its headquarters to Los Angeles and sales of new material continued to spiral downward, Motown was sold to outside interests in 1988. With Gordy at the helm, it was said that Motown was like a family, albeit a dysfunctional one, where talent got gypped and bosses scooped up the gravy. Along the way, many individuals connected with the company tanked their careers, fell into a life of drugs, or headed for an early grave. But make no mistake the music was, and remains, great. Posner offers a fascinating look at this slice of pop culture history. Martin Brady is a writer in Nashville.

In the late 1950s, an ambitious, enterprising young Detroit songwriter named Berry Gordy Jr. got his feet wet in the music business. He went on to start Motown Records, a history-making organization that cranked out hit after hit in the mid-1960s and launched the careers…
History

A new look at a Founding Father

Review by bookpagedev

Author Willard Sterne Randall didn’t plan it this way, but his Alexander Hamilton: A Life comes at a time when a group of political devotees is hoping that Congress will remove Hamilton’s portrait from the $10 bill and replace it with that of President Ronald Reagan. Randall’s biography, which offers a fresh look at the many-faceted career of one of the Founding Fathers, becomes a persuasive response to that group’s wish.

If Hamilton’s only accomplishment were rescuing the infant nation from financial disaster, that would have been enough to ensure him a lasting name and America’s gratitude. But many readers, remembering from their school days only that George Washington’s “money man” was mortally injured in a duel with Aaron Burr, will be astonished to learn of Hamilton’s truly momentous achievements and a legacy equaled by few others in U.S. annals. Randall details Hamilton’s battlefield performance, which led to his becoming Washington’s most trusted aide-de-camp in matters of war and a favorite adviser in affairs of government; his authorship of most of the Federalist Papers, essays that helped to win New York’s ratification of the Constitution and to otherwise shape U.S. political institutions; his principal roles leading to the creation of the Coast Guard and the Navy; and, of course, his critical goals and decisions as the first Secretary of the Treasury. Randall contends that if Washington was the nation’s “indispensable man,” Hamilton was Washington’s indispensable man, even writing his Farewell Speech.

Author of previously acclaimed biographies of Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benedict Arnold and Benjamin Franklin, Randall provides more than a time-line of Hamilton’s accomplishments. We are given a flesh-and-blood Hamilton. While we sometimes encounter the man at his tactful best, we also find him in moments of despair, such as when he confides to a friend, “I hate the world. I hate myself,” and in times of frustration as he lashes out at most members of Congress as “mortal enemies to talent” who have “only contempt for integrity.” We see Hamilton engaging in vitriolic and mudslinging exchanges with other politicians, and, yes, even committing adultery. (A perceptive Martha Washington once noticed an amorous tomcat and named it Hamilton.) Above all, Randall skillfully traces Hamilton’s untiring efforts to establish a financial system based on a currency that has become the most trusted medium in the world and is still graced by his portrait. A retired newsman, Alan Prince lectures at the University of Miami.

Author Willard Sterne Randall didn't plan it this way, but his Alexander Hamilton: A Life comes at a time when a group of political devotees is hoping that Congress will remove Hamilton's portrait from the $10 bill and replace it with that of President Ronald…
LifestylesHealth & Fitness

Sweet tips for sugar babies

Review by bookpagedev

Does stress send you straight to the cookie jar? Is a dinner just not complete without a slice or two of sourdough bread nestled alongside your linguine? If so, chances are, according to nutritionist Adele Puhn, you’re a Sugar Baby with a case of “metabolic mix-up,” or an extraordinary carbohydrate sensitivity. Puhn, author of a previous bestseller, The Five-Day Miracle Diet, returns to corral our sugar cravings with The Midlife Miracle Diet: Tame Your Insulin Resistance. This book’s impassioned message urges everyone, young and old, toward a radical reduction of carbohydrates in their diets. Heart disease and diabetes are on the rise in the United States, Puhn says, and carbohydrates, with their inherent sugars, are the culprits.

Puhn, a committed advocate for vibrant health and longevity, clearly explains the dangers of a metabolism unbalanced by carbohydrate addiction. Her plan outlines the basics and benefits of assessing and controlling blood sugar, provides easy dietary guidelines with food lists and five days’ worth of sample menus, and emphasizes the integral importance of supplements and regular exercise. To further prove her case, she includes a comprehensive source list of scientific research that supports her findings.

So, does this mean a life without pasta, without bread? No, says Puhn, just be “carb careful,” and don those walking shoes. Alison Hood is a freelance writer based in San Rafael, California.

Does stress send you straight to the cookie jar? Is a dinner just not complete without a slice or two of sourdough bread nestled alongside your linguine? If so, chances are, according to nutritionist Adele Puhn, you're a Sugar Baby with a case of "metabolic…
LifestylesHealth & Fitness

Fitness in a hurry

Review by bookpagedev

What if you haven’t got eight weeks to shape up? Say, for example, there’s only a month left to fit into that spiffy sundress you bought (one size too small) for your best friend’s beachside wedding. Relax, take a deep breath, and let Shape magazine editor Barbara Harris’s comprehensive and compassionate plan coax you into a healthier, more balanced lifestyle in only four weeks. Shape Your Life: 4 Weeks to a Better Body and a Better Life ethinks not only your workout and diet routines, but weaves a holistic approach to fitness for optimum health and well-being. Says Harris, “The punitive, deprivational approach to fitness isn’t necessary. . . . The sure and healthy way to get results is to learn to listen to your body and your heart to create a better life.” This plan is designed to sculpt physical and emotional health, based on the premise that one cannot exist without the other. Though half of the book is devoted to exercise and diet, the remaining chapters cover other vital elements for overall wellness: spirituality, adequate rest (including sleep and relaxation), balanced emotions, a healthy body image and a satisfying, rewarding work life. The content is presented in a well-organized, logical format that clearly outlines what readers will learn and how they can use the information. Helpful features embedded in each chapter include mini-articles that offer “quick tips” and “mistakes to avoid.” A final chapter offers four fully integrated makeover plans, each with a different focus: weight loss, stress management, body fitness and lifestyle change.

In the introduction to Shape Your Life, Robert Ivker, a past president of the American Holistic Medical Association, claims that an individual’s health profile is influenced by their responses to two questions: “Do you love your life? Are you happy to be alive?” If you take advantage of the kindly support, creative strategies and useful information packed into this book, the answer you’ll give to both queries is likely to be a resounding “Yes!” Alison Hood is a freelance writer based in San Rafael, California.

What if you haven't got eight weeks to shape up? Say, for example, there's only a month left to fit into that spiffy sundress you bought (one size too small) for your best friend's beachside wedding. Relax, take a deep breath, and let Shape magazine…
LifestylesHealth & Fitness

Resolving to slim down

Review by bookpagedev

Your New Year’s resolutions are set: You’re ready to lose those extra pounds, but you need help. The luxury of a personal trainer would be great, but Christmas shopping has temporarily busted the bank. Don’t despair: Matt Roberts, personal trainer to the likes of Sandra Bullock and Sting, is ready to lend a hand. Matt Roberts’ Fat Loss Plan promises a leaner, fitter body in eight weeks, offering a day-by-day personalized diet and exercise program in an easy-to-follow workbook format. Roberts’ program is accessible; you don’t need any fancy gym equipment, stylish exercise togs or exotic food items to get started.

This practical, positive approach begins with an initial fitness assessment and goal-setting session. Roberts introduces the workout regimen, a gradually paced, balanced method of cardio-aerobic activity, resistance training and stretching. Then, it’s on to what and how to eat. The author advocates an “80 percent/20 percent” eating strategy: The majority of foods you eat should be healthy; the rest can be foods that are your favorites. “Food,” says Roberts, “should be a joyful experience, and not the enemy. The perfect diet should let us savor food without ever leaving us feeling guilty.” The diet plan favors an abundance of low glycemic (low carbohydrate), more alkaline foods for daily intake, highlighting fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Recipes for each day’s meals are included, though for additional, more varied menu planning there are comprehensive food lists, ranked from low-to-high carbohydrate content.

Roberts does a fine job of establishing his supportive, cohesive presence throughout the book with motivational chats and tips (each chapter opens with a pep talk). You’ll feel like he’s right there with you, applauding as you successfully reach your fitness goals. Alison Hood is a freelance writer based in San Rafael, California.

Your New Year's resolutions are set: You're ready to lose those extra pounds, but you need help. The luxury of a personal trainer would be great, but Christmas shopping has temporarily busted the bank. Don't despair: Matt Roberts, personal trainer to the likes of Sandra…
LifestylesHealth & Fitness

Weighty advice for women

Review by bookpagedev

Thank goodness we’ve ditched the notion that only men can benefit from weight training. In recent years, health specialists have proven that pumping iron can help women burn fat, tone their bodies and build bone mass without becoming muscle-bound mini-Schwarzeneggers.

Personal trainer Brad Schoenfeld gives women a clear and comprehensive guide for working with weights in Sculpting Her Body Perfect. The first edition of the book, released in 1999, became a top-selling fitness title, and the newly released second edition improves on the original with the addition of 30 new exercises that can be done at home, rather than in a gym.

Schoenfeld, who also wrote the memorably titled Look Great Naked, provides a bodysculpting routine for each of the major muscle groups and includes a brief anatomy lesson at the start of each section. Every exercise is described in detail and illustrated with photos of top fitness models. From the one-armed dumbbell row to the hanging knee raise, there are plenty of options here for whipping even sadly sagging bodies into toned, shaped and sculpted perfection. And for those who need inspiration to get started or maintain a workout routine, Schoenfeld includes personal profiles of fitness competitors, who share tips on training and nutrition. If your number one New Year’s resolution is to get in shape, Sculpting Her Body Perfect offers a roadmap for reaching your goal.

Thank goodness we've ditched the notion that only men can benefit from weight training. In recent years, health specialists have proven that pumping iron can help women burn fat, tone their bodies and build bone mass without becoming muscle-bound mini-Schwarzeneggers.

Personal trainer Brad…
LifestylesHealth & Fitness

Wellness strategies for women

Review by bookpagedev

Knowledge is power especially when beginning any new fitness regimen. All the self-evaluation tools you’ll need are at your fingertips in Prevention’s Ultimate Guide to Women’s Health and Wellness by Elizabeth Crow and the Editors of Prevention Health Books for Women. This desk reference stresses the importance of informed consumer choice when selecting health care providers and treatment. The guide is also a thorough compendium of female wellness strategies, profiling the latest developments in Western medicine, alternative and natural healing, and nutrition.

The book begins with a primer on the female body, and the body’s specific health needs as it ages. This information, offered in clear, concise terminology, helps women build effective health action plans by providing wellness “checklists” that assess physical and emotional well-being. Each chapter includes at-a-glance health tips and techniques, prevention and treatment advice from certified health practitioners, and positive stories from women who have successfully dealt with personal health challenges. Sections on female reproduction and sexuality, major health threats facing women and a guide to common ailments complete the book and suggest medical treatments, preventative health lifestyle strategies, nutritional counseling and home remedies.

Overall, the book seeks a balance between traditional and alternative health perspectives, but the Western medical delivery system is subtly preferred; for example, the chapter on menopause discusses hormone replacement therapy to the virtual exclusion of alternative solutions. This is, though, a fine resource for women who want an overview of current health delivery options so that they may act, in tandem with their doctor, to take charge of their health. Alison Hood is a freelance writer based in San Rafael, California.

Knowledge is power especially when beginning any new fitness regimen. All the self-evaluation tools you'll need are at your fingertips in Prevention's Ultimate Guide to Women's Health and Wellness by Elizabeth Crow and the Editors of Prevention Health Books for Women. This desk reference stresses…
Lifestyles

Exploring the color spectrum

Review by bookpagedev

When British journalist Victoria Finlay began her research into the history of color, she didn’t expect to unearth stories of corruption, poisoning, killing and politics. But that’s precisely what she found.

It turns out that colors ochre, black, brown, white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, hues used on everything from canvas to cloth are not as easy to come by as they might seem. The glossy shades that modern-day artists casually squeeze from tubes have been a source of heartache and controversy, even death, for centuries.

In Color: A Natural History of the Palette, Finlay explores the physical makeup of colors, as well as the social and political meanings that different hues have come to represent. For her research, Finlay spent years traveling through mountains, deserts, caves and villages in countries such as Afghanistan, Indonesia, China and Australia to piece together a thorough history of each color’s origins and development. The result is quite an accomplishment: a 448-page volume about color that reads like an adventure novel. Inspired by the human quest for color, this is a book full of stories and anecdotes, histories and escapades mostly in art, but also in fashion and interior design, music, porcelain and even, in one example, pillar boxes. Many revelations in Finlay’s “paintbox journeys” are fascinating. Take, for example, the fact that carmine one of the reddest dyes the natural world has produced is made from the blood of cochineal beetles harvested on plantations in Chile. The additive is used today in cosmetics, soft drinks, paint and many other products. Finlay also tells how steaming piles of manure were used by the Dutch to make lead for white paint during Rembrandt’s time, and how Egyptian corpses were a key ingredient in a brown pigment called mommia, or “mummy.” (One 19th-century artist is said to have given his tubes of brown paint a proper burial when he found out.) Written with a sense of humor and wonder, Finlay’s first book is a captivating journey that entertains as much as it teaches. Rebecca Denton is a freelance writer and reporter in Nashville.

When British journalist Victoria Finlay began her research into the history of color, she didn't expect to unearth stories of corruption, poisoning, killing and politics. But that's precisely what she found.

It turns out that colors ochre, black, brown, white, red, orange, yellow,…
Lifestyles

A collection of good yarns on knitting

Review by bookpagedev

I’m the one you see at soccer practices, knitting. I knit anywhere I can get away with it: carpool lines, piano lessons, doctors’ offices, oil change shops. People ask me, “With two small boys, how can you find time to knit?” I say, “How can I not?” I am not alone, it seems. This most traditional of handcrafts is on an upswing, with many young knitters picking up the needles. You don’t have to be a grandmother to knit, that’s for sure. But sometimes you do need to be creative in carving out bits of time for it.

The editors of KnitLit: Sweaters and Their Stories . . . and Other Writing About Knitting have created a marvelous book for anyone who shares this obsession. Linda Roghaar and Molly Boyd are smart they have kept the stories here short, because they know that no knitter will be able to read more than a few before having to go knit some rows in a wild burst of inspiration.

This is the rare book on knitting that captures the many voices of that singular world. I have all sorts of books on techniques and patterns, and I have lovely books such as The Joy of Knitting and The Knitting Sutra, which reflect the authors’ unique points of view. But KnitLit is a great big knitting circle, with women from all over the country telling their knitting stories. The themes are familiar: knitting as a practical craft, as an art, as a way to calm one’s thoughts, as a link to earlier generations. Knitting, too, is meditative, and Dan Odegard writes a tender essay about his young daughter’s knitting, something he feels is downright spiritual.

Some of the stories will make you cry, while others are hilarious. Anne McKee decides in a sentimental moment to spin an English sheepdog’s fur for a friend’s sweater, and all goes well until the rain comes. “Wet dog” has new meaning when you’re wearing it.

I have a friend who can knit and read at the same time, which is the ultimate economy of time. I’m guessing that she’s reading this while starting another of the caps that she makes for each of her second-grade students. And I’m thinking that, like any yarn-crazed knitter, she will enjoy KnitLit. Ann Shayne is the former editor of BookPage.

I'm the one you see at soccer practices, knitting. I knit anywhere I can get away with it: carpool lines, piano lessons, doctors' offices, oil change shops. People ask me, "With two small boys, how can you find time to knit?" I say, "How can…
YA

Resisting evil

Review by bookpagedev

War affects everyone. No living creature is left unscarred by the ravages of conflict. These truisms are poignantly recounted in L.M. Elliott’s premiere novel entitled Under A War-Torn Sky. Elliott’s fluid storytelling style is woven together with vivid historical details from World War II, appropriate for adolescents who seek suspense-filled adventures.

Inspired by her father’s true stories of World War II intrigue and action, Elliott captures the courage, self-sacrifice and bravery of the French Resistance forces. For many young fighter pilots, the romance of flying soon turned into the horror of combat, as discovered by 19-year-old second lieutenant Henry Forester, the youngest pilot in his Air Force squadron. Shot down behind enemy lines, Henry struggles to survive in hostile territory. For the first time in his life, he is dependent on the kindness, sympathy and cunning of strangers in a foreign land. Over the course of many months in occupied France, Henry matures far beyond his years. He sees, hears and experiences unimagined cruelty and brutality. French children and teenagers forfeit their adolescence for the cause of freedom. Instead of playing ball or attending dances, they stealthily deliver munitions to Resistance forces or aid downed Allied pilots, risking their lives with every mission. During Henry’s many lonely hours, he learns not only about those who have risked their lives to rescue him but also about himself. Growing up on a farm in Virginia, Henry felt that his father was particularly harsh, but he calls upon those memories when confronted with life-or-death decisions in hostile country. This realization results in a new understanding and appreciation of the influences that shaped his life.

Elliott offers the reader a gripping and suspenseful story that explores the human spirit in thought-provoking dialogue, some of which is delivered in French. Fans of history, culture, language or just good storytelling will definitely want to read this account of the actions of the French Resistance during WW II.

War affects everyone. No living creature is left unscarred by the ravages of conflict. These truisms are poignantly recounted in L.M. Elliott's premiere novel entitled Under A War-Torn Sky. Elliott's fluid storytelling style is woven together with vivid historical details from World War II, appropriate…

Mystery & SuspenseMystery

A new Tolkien on the scene

Review by bookpagedev

Yes, that Tolkien. Simon Tolkien is the grandson of the famous author, no doubt a double-edged sword for a first-time novelist, but instead of the world of elves and trolls, this Tolkien delves into the world of judges and detectives. His famous grandfather, J.R.

R. Tolkien, wrote about the things he knew legends and myths. So, too, does the grandson, an Oxford-educated barrister who takes us from the manicured grounds of a mansion in Suffolk to the gritty holding cells of London’s Old Bailey.

Final Witness involves a manor house, an influential politician, a secret room, an unlocked door and missing jewels, all of which give this mystery a distinctly British air. Lady Greta Grahame Robinson, the one-time personal assistant and current wife of Sir Peter Robinson, is on trial for the murder of Robinson’s first wife. Her accuser is Thomas Robinson, the embittered teenage son of the murdered woman, who claims he was a terrified witness to the crime from within a hidden room. As the trial progresses, Tolkien flashes back to the beginnings of the relationship between the beautiful and enigmatic Greta and the Robinson family. Working from various points of view, Tolkien shows us the events that led to the crime, even as Greta’s flamboyant attorney spars with the state’s relentless prosecutor. As so often happens in the justice system, be it American or British, the truth is hard to pin down. Between the moody and troubled Thomas, his cold and angry father, and the complicated and mysterious Greta, Tolkien keeps us guessing as to the killer’s identity.

Simon Tolkien has the potential to become a British John Grisham. Writing in the shadow of his grandfather is certainly no easy task, but with clever plot twists, capable handling of courtroom scenes and an unerring ability to build suspense, he has proven in Final Witness that he can uphold the family name.

Yes, that Tolkien. Simon Tolkien is the grandson of the famous author, no doubt a double-edged sword for a first-time novelist, but instead of the world of elves and trolls, this Tolkien delves into the world of judges and detectives. His famous grandfather, J.R.
Fiction

A child’s strange disappearing act

Review by bookpagedev

<B>A child’s strange disappearing act</B> Readers might not know exactly what to think of Anne Ursu’s new novel, <B>The Disapparation of James</B>. But a feeling of uncertainty shouldn’t be cause for concern, since ambiguity is a big part of the appeal of this inventive book. When the novel opens, Hannah and Justin Woodrow are taking their children to the circus despite Justin’s lifelong distaste for clowns, a condition stemming from a creepy childhood experience. Five-year-old son James is plucked from the crowd to participate in the finale, a magic act in which a clown balances the boy high in the air. Then suddenly, wordlessly, from his high perch, James disappears in front of 500 pairs of watching eyes. The circus ends, but the clown can’t return James to his increasingly frantic parents. Eventually, they and the police realize James really has vanished.

Ursu sets the stage effectively for this perplexing event. Things had been strangely off-kilter at the Woodrow house the entire day leading up to the circus Justin’s favorite spatula vanished that morning, an impossibility in his shipshape kitchen. The usually reticent James had been hyper all morning, shouting "Up! Up! Up!" at the top of his lungs.

Ursu pulls at the same every-parents’-worst-nightmare thread that Jacquelyn Mitchard skillfully tugged in the best-selling novel <I>The Deep End of the Ocean</I>. But a child literally disappearing in front of a crowd of onlookers isn’t exactly a standard child-snatching, and Ursu makes her story unique, detailing the wild, stream-of-consciousness thoughts of a family left one member short. She has a knack for toying with reality, stopping time and backing up to play out a different possible outcome. The result is a compelling and compassionate story even when readers aren’t actually sure where their sympathies should lie.

The author also uses the disappearance to examine the dynamics of an unusual family, in which the father is in charge of car-pooling, play dates and lunch while the mother works full-time as a physician. Hannah’s nagging feelings of inadequacy (what kind of Mom goes off to work and leaves Dad to raise the kids? she often wonders) are magnified when she fails to keep her son safe.

Want a detailed account of what happened to James? You won’t find it here, and ultimately that question is somewhat beside the point. Ursu eschews the easy option of turning her story into an open-and-shut mystery novel, instead choosing to explore the beauty and inevitable anxiety of parenthood. <I>Amy Scribner is an editor and writer in Washington, D.C.</I>

<B>A child's strange disappearing act</B> Readers might not know exactly what to think of Anne Ursu's new novel, <B>The Disapparation of James</B>. But a feeling of uncertainty shouldn't be cause for concern, since ambiguity is a big part of the appeal of this inventive book.…

Fiction

Resurrecting a wartime affair

Review by bookpagedev

For all who care to linger, the pleasures of the written word are on ample display in Frederick Busch’s new novel, A Memory of War. A prolific and acclaimed writer with more than two dozens books to his credit, Busch offers a challenge to readers, but one well worth the effort.

As the novel opens in 1985, the seemingly unflappable existence of psychologist Alex Lescziak is disrupted when a man named William Kessler declares that Alex is his brother. Apparently Alex’s Jewish mother had an affair with a German prisoner of war during World War II. Skeptical yet troubled, Alex winds up at the New York Public Library, poring over old newspapers. Thus he initiates the process of re-examining his past, summoning forth memories and conjuring up unfamiliar images of his parents.

The Lescziaks, Polish ŽmigrŽs, settled in Great Britain before moving on to the U.S. Sylvia Lescziak and her husband, Januscz, performed necessary but menial tasks in support of the Allied effort. Perhaps Sylvia had desires her husband could not fulfill. Enter Otto Kessler.

Frederick Busch portrays this wartime romance exclusively through Alex’s imagination. Even so, the affair has amazing clarity and depth. Alex, however, remains a somewhat elusive figure, nearly overshadowed by his mother’s more elaborate tale. His unhappiness at a failing marriage and guilt over an ongoing affair with a patient (Nella) is apparent; what’s behind his dilemma isn’t so clear.

As A Memory of War progresses, its story is fleshed out, and the issues at stake are put into relief. Latent tensions between Sylvia and Januscz rise to the surface; an element of suspense is introduced, as a search for the now missing Nella intensifies; and Alex musters sufficient resolve to make a last overture to his wife, Liz, and to offer Kessler a few well-chosen words of advice.

A Memory of War is not a book leavened by humor or easy resolutions; it may strike some as just plain depressing. For those readers hardy enough to stick around, the reward comes in the usual ways: prose that shimmers and a sensibility that respects the difficulty of devising a happy, sustainable life in or out of wartime. Harold Parker writes from Gallatin, Tennessee.

For all who care to linger, the pleasures of the written word are on ample display in Frederick Busch's new novel, A Memory of War. A prolific and acclaimed writer with more than two dozens books to his credit, Busch offers a challenge to readers,…

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