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Best new paperbacks:
The BookPage monthly feature for reading groups
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July paperback releases offer good choices for reading groups
REVIEWS BY JULIE HALE
The Zahir
The Zahir By Paulo Coelho HarperPerennial, $13.95 336 pages ISBN 0060832819
An Atomic Romance
By Bobbie Ann Mason Random House, $13.95 288 pages ISBN 0812975200
No Direction Home
By Marisa Silver Norton, $13.95 304 pages ISBN 0393328740
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Acclaimed Brazilian author Coelho offers an unforgettable story about love and self-awareness that's international in scope and profound in its exploration of human relationships. The novel's narrator, a successful writer of international renown, resides in Paris. Sophisticated and wealthy, he has it all, until the day his wife Esther disappears. A respected war correspondent who left Iraq and returned to France just before military action began, Esther had been experiencing emotional problems before vanishing from Paris with her friend and possible lover, Mikhail. When the narrator is implicated in their disappearance, he produces an alibi that clears his name, then makes contact with Mikhail, who, without disclosing where Esther is, offers to take him to her. He has no choice but to follow Mikhail, thus embarking on a quest to find his wife—a pursuit that completely consumes him. As it turns out, there is more to the search than an attempt to locate Esther and, guided by Mikhail, the narrator soon finds himself on a remarkable spiritual journey with stops in Central Asia and the Middle East. This suspenseful, literate page-turner showcases Coelho's considerable abilities as a writer. There are a staggering 65 million copies of his eight prior novels in print worldwide, and this latest book should win him even more readers. A reading group guide is available at www.harperperennial.com.
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This is Mason's first novel in 10 years, and it's a welcome return. Set in rural Kentucky, An Atomic Romance tells the story of handsome, introspective Reed Futrell. Divorced with two adult children, Reed, who is in his 40s, works at the local uranium-enrichment plant. The plant provides the majority of jobs in the area, but it makes headlines for all the wrong reasons when plutonium leaks are reported there. The risks are undeniable: Reed's father died at the age of 36 due to an accident at the plant involving lethal chemicals, and Reed himself suspects that he has been exposed to high levels of plutonium, although he tries to make light of the possibility—especially around his girlfriend Julia, a biologist. She believes that the leaks are an indication of larger problems, while he defends the plant as a source of economic growth and well-paying jobs. Julia and Reed spar over these matters, while at the same time supplying the book's lighthearted romantic center. Offering some down-home comedic relief is the presence of Reed's drinking buddy, Burl, who seems to spend more time in jail than anywhere else. Mason writes with intuitiveness and wisdom about marriage, family and environmental issues, striking just the right balance to produce a novel that will delight her many fans. A reading group guide is included in the book.
This beautifully constructed debut novel is a narrative about families fighting to endure in the face of incredible hardship. When Caroline's husband falls prey to depression and deserts her, she struggles single-handedly to care for her twin sons, 10-year-olds Ethan and Will. Leaving their home in Missouri for California, where her parents live, Caroline and the twins embark on a new life. But they arrive only to find that Caroline's mother is experiencing a mental decline, and that her father has engaged Amador, a Mexican immigrant, to look after her. Adding to the mix is Marlene, stepsister to Will and Ethan. Marlene, who is a bit wild, takes off on a trip with Amador's son, Rogelio. The two are searching for their fathers, and the journey takes Rogelio—at great risk—into Mexico. Facing dangerous gangs and pressure from the police, braving underground tunnels at the Mexican border, Rogelio struggles to reach his father despite amazing odds. Silver writes with insight about these resilient characters and their attempts to find permanence and security in an uncertain world. Her convincing portrayals of the modern family in all its varied configurations are part of what make this rich, original novel so appealing. The film rights to the book have been optioned by Fox Searchlight. A reading group guide is included in the book.