MARJ'S PICKS

The struggle to build an authentic identity lies at the heart of Astrid's life as a foster child in Los Angeles after her poet mother, who has kept Astrid isolated from the world, is imprisoned for murder.

Richard Papen, a relatively impoverished student at a New England college, falls in with an exclusive clique of rich, worldly Greek scholars and soon learns the dreadful secret that keeps them together.

Me Talk Pretty One Day
by David Sedaris

In a new collection of essays, observations, and commentaries, the humorist and best-selling author of Naked describes his recent move to Paris, life as an American in Paris, his struggle to learn French, his family, restaurant meals, and more.

Sean Devine must confront the world of violence and pain he tried to forget when his childhood friend's daughter is murdered, and the investigation brings him face-to-face with a vigilante killer and a man with a dangerous secret.

If you enjoyed the novel, you may like the Academy Award-Winning Film of the same title.

Reeling from her husband's abrupt departure, Kathy is living alone in the modest California bungalow she inherited from her father and has few material or emotional resources upon which to draw when a pair of sheriff's deputies appear like creatures in a nightmare and evict her. It's all a mistake, but before Kathy, a personification of fog, can straighten things out, Colonel Behrani, an exiled Iranian air force officer forced to work menial jobs to support his family, snaps up her home at auction for a third of its value, moves in, and prepares to resell it at a profit. Obdurate and full of fury and pride, Behrani is sand, and Dubus has set up a microcosmic conflict of profound cultural implication and tremendous dramatic impact. Narrating from both points of view, he renders each character utterly compelling and sympathetic. All Kathy wants is her home; Behrani cannot give up his dream, and they are headed for a resolution of stunningly tragic dimensions. Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews