THE STARS CAN WAIT

A young Polish boy with a passion for stargazing and astronomy tries to cope with the ramifications of his older brother's erratic behavior in Basu's poignant debut novel, which takes place during WWII in a small village in historically riven Silesia, at the beginning of the Nazi occupation of Poland. Gracian Sófka is the 15-year-old protagonist, a dreamer who manages to endure his days laboring in a coal mine by wandering out into the woods at night to watch the stars, despite the constant presence of Nazi guards who could kill him. His older brother, Pawel, finds more direct ways to deal with the enemy, starting with his stint in the Polish army, during which he loses a couple of fingers fighting against the Germans. Pawel is equally belligerent with his own family, beating up his brother-in-law after eluding a prison sentence for smuggling. The turning point in the relationship between the brothers comes when Pawel gives Gracian a telescope to pursue his hobby. The boy also uses the instrument to spy on Pawel's courtship with the most beautiful girl in the village as well as his brother's maneuverings with the local underground. Basu is a lyrical writer, painting an eloquent picture of two brothers who are polar opposites as he traces Pawel's inevitable descent against the inexorable rise of the Nazis. There are many familiar elements to this WWII parable, but what is relatively rare is the power and craft of Basu's portrayal as he examines the impact of war on a family as seen through the eyes of a sensitive and precocious adolescent. Author tour. (Feb. 5)