Absolution
Alice McDermott
American wives in early-'60s Saigon and the good intentions that curdle. McDermott looking hard at who gets to feel virtuous.
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★ 5At Weddings and Wakes
Alice McDermott
An Irish-Catholic family in New York, seen through the kids being shuttled to their grandmother's apartment. McDermott makes the ordinary ache.
★ 5Romantic Comedy
Curtis Sittenfeld
An SNL-style writer falls for the pop star hosting the show and refuses to believe it could work. Smart, swoony, very fun.
★ 5Bel Canto
Ann Patchett
Bel Canto by Anne Patchett is, I think, her masterpiece. (And I’ve read all of her books!) The plot sounds like it’s ripped from an airport thriller: An opera singer is performing at a millionaire’s birthday party when terrorists take the entire mansion hostage. But what happens next is anything but predictable, and the prose is gorgeous. I read it every few years and recommend it to all of my friends.