About the Author

Marisa Silver is the author of The New York Times Notable Book Babe in Paradise. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

"Gripping and at times heartbreaking... Silver, with her attention to everyday detail and her determination to take seriously the myriad individual lives that create California, has crafted a beautiful, honest and poignant novel of this siren state." -- San Francisco Chronicle "A considerable feat." -- New York Times Book Review "A deft juggler of plot lines... [Silver] conjures an aching world of half-truths, physical need and emotional frustration." -- Publishers Weekly

Silver's aptly titled debut novel features a collection of characters in search of something lost-and hoping to find comfort in a home they might only imagine. When Caroline's husband leaves her, she moves with her twin sons back to her parents' home in Los Angeles. Her mother, Eleanor, is suffering from Alzheimer's, and Eleanor's caregiver, Amador, has left his own family in Mexico. When Amador's eldest son leaves home to bring his father back, and then teenaged Marlene hits the road seeking a father she never knew, the disparate characters find comfort in one another in various ways. Silver has a knack for creating flawed but sympathetic characters. Especially likable is Caroline's son, Will, slowly going blind at ten but seeing many things the others don't. The narrative wraps up a bit too neatly, and there is nothing surprising or spectacular about the writing. But public library readers are likely to feel a great affection for the characters and be satisfied by the story.-Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.