This marvelous work has no heroes and no villains but only victims of the seemingly endless ritual called war. Kiana Davenport focuses on the lives of three people caught up in the absurd pursuit of a victory without victors, of a laurel wreath of dead flowers. A dedicated nurse who must use her position to be a carrier of death--her Chinese father, fighting for a nation which does not love him and for a cause in which he cannot believe--a young soldier who becomes the love of his enemy: these three are interconnected with all the others whose lives are blighted by slaughter without meaning. Only love can save any of them from the abyss of madness which the war opens for them--that love can bring compassion to the hearts of those who must harden themselves for the insanity which was the Civil War, and, by extension, every war that's ever been fought.

This excellent variation of the themes of self-righteous power, the disempowerment of the vulnerable, and the steps toward freedom & courage is difficult to put down, even when it is most disturbing. The story is a nod to the prurient morality of the 19th century as played out in a not too distant future. Wonderful character development throughout while exploring issues too uncomfortably familiar in a bigoted, narrow, and simplistic national culture duped by those who promise to keep it safe at the expense of the dignity and conscience of every single person in that twisted world where the narrow views of the few manage the behavior of the many. Dystopian literature at its best.

If you want to connect gentle humor with biting satire, wonderful insight into human character with a psychological thriller, then Victor LaValle's "The Devil in Silver" is your book. Even through the scenes of Gothic horror runs a affirmation of the goodness of human nature when we are free and able to make choice in the most difficult places--as Frankl points out, our lives have meaning as we give them meaning. Wonderful plot writing, fascinating characters, and the wacky bunch that make up this worthy successor to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Here you'll find the joy, despair, and hope of those in mental hospitals, but without the dark pessimism that pervades so much of the literature.

Lydia Nester's first book is striking and endearing. I found her celebration of the oddities of her protagonists a reminder that we are each of us unique, never repeatable, and ineffably singular. Sunny and Maxon are notably ill-suited for the cultural expectations around them. But is it not true that in our attempts to meet our society's norms, we lose touch with the authentic integrity which which each of us arrives. Brava, Lydia.

The book is autobiographical with all of Quindlen's usual qualities: insight, fun, self-effacing humor, and, at times, a well aimed shot at silliness. I thinks it's an important book for men to read, too, since looking at the world through each others' eyes is so important in a world often with lots of answers but no humble questions. Too many men are making decisions about women's lives when they've obviously never lived inside a woman's body and mind--it's created much pain in churches, governmental agencies, and in schools. Quindlen's searching examination of her own adventures is touching, loving, and joyful. Her wisdom is obvious.

I am a fan of first books--I find so many authors, including Jan Smiley and John Grisham, poured their authentic life into their first books and never surpassed them. Even if Amber Dermont publishes nothing else, "The Starboard Sea" is a gift for us all. She explores the heart's search for love, for forgiveness, for belonging with all the pain, joy, grief, and exaltation that journey involves. Jason steps through great love, devastating losses, and exalting triumphs searching fort hat rare treasure, his true self--something for which we all long and which so often eludes us. I know this young man in my heart and soul--I find myself here, and thank Amber for the light she gives.

As a child of the 1960s, I found Lauren Groff's exploration of the journey from Utopian roots to full blossoming and then back to the primal sources both thrilling and enlightening. Young Bit's life begins already intertwined with a living community; as he enters the lives of others both inside and outside that community, he comes to know, as we all eventually know, that the sources of life are also its goals. As in "Monsters of Templeton, " Ms. Groff offers us a doorway, not only into the heart of her protagonist, but also into our own hearts and lives. The allusive title is well chosen: this book is filled with light, harmony, and depth.