John Burnham Schwartz's latest book, The Commoner, is an interesting portrayal of the royal house of Japan. Haruko, the fictional Empress of Japan, is the commoner of the title. She gives up her voice - literally and figuratively - by agreeing to marry the Crown Prince. The novel explores her struggle to hold on to her roots against her duties and difficult mother-in-law. Schwartz's writing is sprinkled with beautiful imagery often associated with Japan - cherry blossoms, cranes, and the phoenix, but the use of this imagery cannot save the forced prose. The story - like an oriental Princess Diana story - tries to prevent Haruko has a marytered hero, but in the end - even when she helps her daughter-in-law deal with Imperial life - she comes more as coward forced into a moral decision that leaves her speechless. Haruko even loses her ability to speak, but once it is regained, she does not say anything of interest. The reader is left to infer to much about her character. In the end, this reader was generally to bored to infer.

McEwan's On Chesil Beach is a wonderful story of expectations, maturity, communication, and lost chances. At the same time, the hero (if that is what he is?), Edward, is tragic. Whether he has been "tricked" into his marriage with Florence or whether she has been the victim of incest is not at the core of this novel. Edward's inability to with deal with flaws, whether unintentional (his mother's mental illness) or intentional (Florence's psychological repulsion of sexual intimacy), is at the heart of this novel. As a man, I have to sympathize with Edward, but I found myself asking the same questions McEwan's does in the last section of the book: Is Edward's lack of compassion morally right? McEwan and I reach similar conclusions. Like Saturday (McEwan's previous book), this book - unfolding in a single time span - is tight and exciting. If nothing else, read this book for McEwan's well-crafted sentences.

I just finished Hill's third novel and found in Aminata Diallo a compelling character. Aminata, known as Meena, is forced into a journey of self-exploration and identity after being enslaved. As the novel seemlessly moves across 50+ years, Aminata searches for a role in a society that enslaves and then elevates her. Although it is easy for some to compare this book to other books with similar plots (the survival of slaves in the Americas), Hill transcends the genre by creating a well-researched search for identity. Propelled by the wise words of her father and mother, Aminata nevers forgets her childhood in Africa; but, like any good journey story, Aminata is confused about her role in the quest. She believes that it is to return to her village, but her role is greater: she is a speaker for her people, a djeli (storyteller). Hill has the ability to move a story along quickly, considering the length, with involving secondary characters and poetic prose. Like Aminata, Hill is a capable and engaging storyteller.

Ann Patchett's Run has to be one of the best books I have read this year. The plot of the story is light and the ending is predictable, but the character development and use of shifting point of view is brilliant. Each character in this novel is engaging, complex, and sympathetic. There is not one major character that does not jump off the page and demand attention and attention is what I gave them as I could not put this book down. I have not read Patchett's previous bestseller, so I have no point of comparison; but, her attention to structure and play with conventions, especially point of view, make her an accomplished writer in my eyes.

The beauty in Diane Ackerman's The Zookeeper's Wife lies in her attention to detail. She tells the story of Jan and Antonia Zabinski, the director of the Warsaw Zoo and his wife, during the Polish Occupation during WWII, with beautiful prose that stimulates all the reader's senses. The reader experiences the sensations of the two protagonists as they fight in the Underground and use the zoo as a station for the passage of Jewish citizens escaping the Nazis. Ackerman recreates a story of heroism into a story of human nature, particularly in Antonia. Antonia - as the lioness that guards the family villa and its 300 or so Guests - must face off with German soldiers and SS agents while feeding the household (pets included) and always facing the fear of being discovered. Using Antonia's diaries, her children books, Jan's interviews, face-to-face interviews with survivors, and other sources, Ackerman weaves a beautiful story. The story of WWII and the Holocaust is often the background for literature - fiction and nonfiction - but this book stands out as a testament to the beauty of people like Antonia and Jan.

Diaz's first novel, after his short story collection Drown, is an exciting entry in the growing list of Caribbean literature. Diaz tells the story of the unlucky - in so many ways - Oscar de Leon through multiple voices, detailing the fuku that appears to curse's family. Each one of these voices tells Oscar's sad story, but also the modern history of the Dominican Republic and Dolinicians in The United States. The voice of the main narrator - Yunior, a collegiate friend and tormentor of Oscar - is brilliant. Using a fast-talking, Spanish-sprinkling, name-dropping, pop-culture-referenced voice, Yunior draws the reader into Oscar and his family; the reader is also drawn into the 30 year rule of the country's dictator, which shapes Oscar's fate as Oscar and his mother are linked to Oscar's grandfather - an early victim of the dictator. The book, by a young, emerging author, is enthralling and enjoyable!

Amy Bloom’s enthralling second novel, Away, evokes Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain. Both books explore the seemingly impossible journeys of two protagonists longing for love, redemption, and identify associated with memories. Arresting characters and picturesque landscapes populate both novels. What separates Bloom’s writing from Frazier’s writing is language; Bloom’s sparse, yet powerful prose invokes burial imagery and the power of the number three transcending Lillian Leyb’s journey into a psychological quest.

As Lillian attempts to bury her past in New York City with the help of three men, it is the second half of the book that truly explores the theme of identify. The three characters in this section (Gumdrop Brown, Chinky Chang, and John Bishop - what great names!) help Lillian to find her identity as they seek and receive their own new identities. A beautifully written quest story!

This well-written book went beyond my expectations. I have tried to read McEwan’s books, but I found myself putting the books down before truly experiencing the magic of his writing. It was his novel Saturday that finally kept my interest and propelled me to explore his other works in earnest. I pick up Atonement to read it before seeing the movie; I am so glad I stayed with this novel. The shifting point of views against the landscapes of pre-WWII England in the first section of the novel read like the doomed love affair of the play “The Trails of Arabella” written by a young Briony. Although the obvious theme is the path of atonement one must travel, it is evident that the theme of abandonment links with the theme of atonement in both the fictitious play and the story that unfolds over the next 60 years. McEwan truly shows his craft has he moves into the early days of WWII in the second and third sections of the book; he also plays with our emotions as he limits the narration to just one character in each section. Although he gives the reader the appearance of a fairy-tale ending like in Briony’s play, the twist in the last section appears to be more than satisfying and realistic. I cannot wait to explore more of his novels and can only hope that they are as well crafted as Atonement and Saturday.