Web-Exclusive Reviews: Week of 4/30/2007

-- Publishers Weekly, 4/30/2007

NONFICTION

AFRICA ON SIX WHEELS: A Semester on Safari
Betty Levitov. Univ. of Neb., $17.95 paper (200p) ISBN 9780803280540

Levitov's unique, lyrical memoir of three months in Africa leading a group of University of Nebraska students deserves a wide audience. English professor Levitov, a seasoned traveler, doesn't simply know Africa well, she knows how to write about it, capturing an exquisite sense of place in just a few words, and making the countries they visit-Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, South Africa and especially Malawi-pop off the page. Just as keen is her genius for capturing the personalities of her traveling companions and those they meet: student Sean, who fights malaria; Misha, who befriends a Nairobi boat captain; Gavin, their fearless, rock-solid driver; and Sonja, always the Africans' first choice for dancing. The Africans they encounter are just as memorable, especially Mr. Chiuma, whom Levitov befriends in Malawi; he insists she take one of his two chairs as a gift. Interacting with and learning about their "joyous, happy, and thankful" African hosts, Levitov develops her pedagogic rationale for dragging 16 white kids across the Dark Continent: "the generosity of spirit I see again and again among people who have so little...[is] a way of being that we Westerners, in our wild strivings to progress and excel, have lost." How pleasurable for readers that Levitov has managed to capture that beautiful African spirit in this fine travelogue. (Apr.)

 ALL REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL: What You Need to Know to Profit in Real Estate-In a Buyer's and a Seller's Market
David Lereah. Currency/Doubleday, $21.95 (256p) ISBN 9780385519229

As pointed out by Lereah, senior vice president and chief economist of the National Association of Realtors, "over 80 percent of homeowners in America depend more on the value of their home for retirement than stocks and other savings." This guide to evaluating local real estate markets is meant to make "smarter property buyer[s]" of both heavy investors and first-time house-hunters. In textbook-ready prose, Lereah (Why the Real Estate Book Will Not Bust) leavens the often stressful process of real estate procurement with common sense and clarity. Lereah introduces fresh concepts like "market DNA"-the set of attributes that determine a given market's future performance-which he uses to profile specific locales and explore the relative merits of such concerns as climate, resources, diversified economy, education, government, sports, medical services, transport, culture, safety and less-obvious "X factors" (e.g., the power brokers of Washington, D.C.). Lereah's profusion of tables, indexes, ratings and rankings are practical, and his step-by-step guides to the purchasing process are well laid-out. Along with the ins and outs of an intelligent buy, Lereah includes some 80 pages of statistics on a wide range of specific cities, making this a valuable reference. (Apr.)

BLIND SPOTS: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things
Madeleine L. Van Hecke. Prometheus, $18 paper (224p) ISBN 9781591025092

Clinical psychologist Van Hecke has compiled a list of 10 mental glitches that have infiltrated contemporary society, afflicting even the smartest among us, limiting thought, success and relationships. Van Hecke devotes a chapter to each blind spot, including "Not stopping to think," "Not noticing," "Jumping to conclusions" and "Missing the big picture." Examining each in detail, Van Hecke details the root causes of these unconscious habits ("information overload," "our tendency to habituate") and tactics for overcoming them, using humorous anecdotes and other real-life examples to drive her points; the key is remaining open to new ideas and taking a step back from our busy lives in order to process information, situations and people. Filling in "the big picture" herself, Van Hecke demonstrates how embracing and understanding our weaknesses can not only improve personal and professional relationships, but also entire communities; this self-help is a welcome, highly readable first step. (Apr.)

EVERYBODY HURTS: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture
Leslie Simon and Trevor Kelley. Harper, $13.95 paper (288p) ISBN 9780061195396

For those who equate "emo" with lonely, malnourished rock bands, Alternative Press vets Simon and Kelley provide a vivisection of this deceptively large slice of the American pop culture pie: "it's a state of mind…a place [for] people who don't fit in-but who long to fit in with other people who don't fit in." With casual prose and unflagging energy, the authors look at a laundry list of emo affairs: fashion, internet, film, literature and music among them. Simon and Kelley know the territory inside and out, profiling ten emo types ("Trustafarian," "Christian," "Ex-Hardcore"), "emo ancestors" (including Emily Dickinson and Cameron Crowe), a detailed timeline and a comparative " 'Emo' vs. 'So Not Emo' " list-and that's just the first chapter. Unexpected resources and sarcastic swipes abound: record store recommendations segue into clever, cutting guidelines for naming your band. Readers will be reminded of Robert Lanham's The Hipster Handbook (right down to Rob Dobi's detailed, comic-realist illustrations), but like that title, Simon and Kelley's may not appeal to its subjects (emo fans read books primarily "to brag about [them] in social situations"). On the other hand, would-be scenesters will pick up plenty of tips-though there's a significant possibility that the info here will be dated in six months. (Apr.)

LITTLE FAMILY, BIG VALUES: Lessons in Love, Respect, and Understanding for Families of Any Size
The Roloff Family with Tracy Sumner. Fireside, $24.95 (194p) ISBN 9781416549109

For such a unique family, the Roloffs' heavily ghost-written memoir is surprisingly conventional. Residents of Portland, Ore., and stars of TLC's popular reality TV show, Little People, Big World, the Roloffs are little people-Matt and his wife, Amy, stand less than four feet high; they have four children, one a little person, three of average size. Though this eclectic living situation suggests any number of intriguing perspectives, the book's "lessons" are sadly lacking in individual voices. Among sections written under the name of specific family members, including Matt's mother, the prose is indistinct. Lessons and insights are stock: Matt observes that "each of [our children] has the same two parents, and yet their personalities are all very different"; Amy, on "Roloff Family Value #3", perseverance, says "you keep going, even when things are difficult." The spark that Roloff family fans expect crops up in a few places, as in daughter Molly's brief diatribe on dealing with outsiders: "Sometimes I just want to say, 'Yeah, my mom and dad are short. So what?' " For the most part, unfortunately, the people presented here don't reflect the lively family of reality TV-in fact, they hardly seem real at all. Photos. (Apr.)

MIRAGE: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S.
Cynthia Barnett. Univ. of Michigan, $24.95 (240p) ISBN 9780472115631

In recent decades, severe droughts in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, along with shrinking aquifers, dried-up lakes and sluggish rivers in the Southeast have induced bitter East Coast fights over what was once an exclusively Western concern: water scarcity. What happened? Barnett, the long-time environmental reporter for Florida Trend magazine, answers that question in a rigorous look at the relentless pressure of development and burgeoning human populations on natural water supplies, particularly in the wetlands of Florida. Chapter by chapter, Barnett documents the enlarging sinkholes, loss of ancient lakes, pollution of water tables and river systems, aquifer mining and negligent politics that have led to Florida's perpetual water crisis-including a disastrous shift in weather patterns. Considering such crises elsewhere in the U.S., Barnett finds that successful allocation agreements are rare, lessons learned are quickly forgotten and an ever-growing population spells more trouble to come. Though it may lack popular appeal, this comprehensive and well-referenced volume does feature appearances from well-known figures like Walt Disney, Jeb Bush and Hurricane Katrina, and should become vital reading for citizens and policymakers as global concerns over water scarcity grow. (Apr.)

MONDO LUCHA A GO-GO: The Bizarre and Honorable World of Mexican Wrestling
Dan Madigan. HarperCollins, $24.95 (272p) ISBN 9780060855833

Though its title might suggest an ironic, kitschy treatment of the hyper-colored world of Mexican wrestling, Lucha Libre, Madigan's work makes it clear from the get-go that his love for the sport is true, mad and deep. Author, screenwriter and wrestling TV producer Madigan (See No Evil) answers frequently asked question, "Okay…What is Lucha Libre?", by taking readers through the basics, describing a sport that mixes "combative art forms…[with] elements of soap opera and dramatic storytelling, physical comedy, incredible athletics, suspense and intrigue." Though equating past wrestling greats like El Santo and the Blue Demon with celebrated muralists like Diego Rivera and Jose Orozco might seem like a stretch ("their goals just as noble and politically minded....Every kick, leap, and punch was a brush stroke in [a] masterpiece of storytelling"), full-bleed color photos and gorgeous poster reproductions make it easy to see the art in the sport's wild costumes, over-the-top drama and rich history. As much fun as this book is, the level of detail can overwhelm, as in Madigan's endless parade of Luchadore biographies, too many of which run together for lack of a narrative engine. That said, there's a lot to love here, even for the casually curious, and especially for fans of action photography and poster illustration. (Apr.)

THE MOST IMPORTANT FISH IN THE SEA
H. Bruce Franklin. Island/Shearwater, $25 (280p) ISBN 9781597261241

Franklin, a historian and author of over 15 books (most recently War Stars), was inspired by his passion for saltwater angling to write this history of the all-but-extinct menhaden, a fish that's historically served an essential part of the Atlantic coastal food web, including human populations (natives and settlers both). Integrating his own observations, Franklin spins a grim but compelling tale of the role menhaden play in maintaining critical near-shore habitats, their utility to early Americans and the collapse of their stocks over the past 150 years. Beginning in Maine during the latter half of the 19th century, the menhaden decline has accelerated alongside the nation's economic and technological growth, in particular the increasing sophistication of the fishing industry. Effects are widespread: as the menhaden population thins out, so have bass, bluefish, weakfish and other species, while estuaries suffer catastrophic phytoplankton blooms that create long-lived "dead zones" in which nothing can survive. This informative, riveting narrative exposes the greed, short-sightedness and unintended consequences which nearly destroyed the Atlantic coast ecosystem entirely, and continue to wreak havoc in the Gulf of Mexico. Franklin's final chapter provides a measure of hope, describing the happy but imperiled recovery of menhaden populations along New Jersey and New England coastlines. (Apr.)

PUBLIC COWBOY NO. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry
Holly George-Warren. Oxford, $28 (352p) ISBN 9780195177466

In this enjoyable, thoroughly researched volume, author and pop culture commentator George-Warren (Cowboy!) details the life and work of Gene Autry, the influential star of music, movies and television. After a descriptive genealogy, George-Warren takes the reader through Autry's formative years, featuring his deadbeat dad, the oft-married Delbert, and his long-suffering mom, Nora. Born Orvon Grover Autry in 1907, the cowboy's childhood was spent watching Tom Mix movies in Achille, Okla., and singing for classmates in Tioga. The bulk of the book is devoted to Autry's career as a musician and a film actor, beginning with the telegraphing job he neglected in order to make his early recordings, and his subsequent discovery by American Radio Corporation A&R man Art Satherley. Most striking, though perhaps not surprising, is that the much-revered man who "reinvent[ed] the saga of the cowboy and the West" was not a cowboy at all, but a deft performer and professional who made the unexpected, highly fortuitous move from film to television in the late 1940s. Included are abundant notes, a bibliography and a brilliant, chronological list of Autry's 640 recording sessions. An easy, fluid read, this illuminating biography also provides a look into the early days of the radio and recording industry. (Apr.)

LIFESTYLE

ED DEL GRANDE'S HOUSE CALL: Foolproof Tricks of the Trade from a Master Contractor
Ed Del Grande. Viking, $15.95 paper (240p) ISBN 9780142005187

Master plumber, contractor and host of his own TV show on the DIY Network (Ed the Plumber), Del Grande puts his experience to work in this helpful guide to basic home maintenance and repair. Operating under the premise that a homeowner knows his or her house best, Del Grande explains, in simple terms, how homeowners can diagnose common problems and fix them. He covers day-to-day issues such as clogged drains, replacing light fixtures and resetting circuit breakers, as well as bigger projects such as installing a new dishwasher and laying down laminate flooring. Most projects are complemented with time- and money-saving tips, as well as easy-to-follow illustrations. While it's far from comprehensive, this book is an excellent primer for first-time homeowners and others unfamiliar with home maintenance. (May)

GOOD-ENOUGH MOTHER: THE PERFECTLY IMPERFECT BOOK OF PARENTING
René Syler with Karen Moline. Simon Spotlight, $22.95 (274p) ISBN 9781416934912

All mothers want to provide their kids the perfect childhood; as such, many try to become the perfect mother. In this humorous look at modern momhood, journalist and TV personality Syler uses her own experience as a working mom of two to show how "good-enough" is the new "perfect." Each short, punchy chapter is focused loosely on a parenting topic, including spouse management, math homework, assigning chores, taking time out for friends and "flunking the PTA." Syler believes in teaching by example, a strategy she uses on her kids and her readers; in honest, conversational prose, Syler gets very personal, giving readers plenty of lengthy glimpses into the life of a minor celebrity. Though it doesn't add a whole lot to the exploding mommy-memoir canon, this will make a satisfying read for any woman who knows what it's like to scramble through the day raising children, working full time and hoping her efforts are good enough. (Apr.)

THE NEW YORK TIMES COUNTRY WEEKEND COOKBOOK
Edited by Linda Amster. St. Martin's, $32 (256p) ISBN 9780312359393

Even if they don't summer in the Hamptons, avid cooks are sure to find some new favorites in this tony collection from the food writers of the New York Times. The book opens with recipes for appetizers such as Mango Jicama Guacamole and cocktails ranging from classic martini and gimlets to more exotic fare like the Coffee Shop's Batida, a classic caipirinha spiked with mango or passion fruit nectar. Other recipes are grouped more intriguingly, as in "A Visit to the Farm Stand," a section of dishes that take maximum advantage of fresh produce. As expected, many of the recipes call for grilling; in addition to usual suspects like grilled chicken, vegetables and fish, Times columnist Mark Bittman offers a number of flavorful takes on grilled pizza, incorporating seasonal favorites like green tomatoes, corn and zucchini. Cool soups like Chilled Curried Zucchini Soup with Apple Garnish and French Laundry's Gazpacho offer welcome relief from the summer heat. While the majority of the recipes are mouth-watering (what's not to like about rum-laced Frozen Banana Ice Cream or Shrimp Steamed in Beer with Dill?), many require planning if readers are indeed going to prepare them on a weekend away from a well-stocked home pantry. Color photos throughout. (May)

THE STRUCTURE HOUSE WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Achieve Your Ideal Weight Through a New Relationship with Food
Gerard J. Musante. Fireside, $24 (336p) ISBN 9780743286909

According to author Musante, admitted food addict Oprah Winfrey has lots of company: millions of people in the U.S. don't realize that they eat not to satisfy hunger but to deal with loneliness, stress, boredom and feelings of inadequacy. Founder and director of the 30-year-old Structure House Center for Weight Control in Durham, N.C., Musante believes these emotional prompts are behind many bad eating habits and, therefore, a huge factor in the U.S. epidemic of obesity. Understanding one's relationship with food is key to Musante's approach, which emphasizes overall health and fitness, and he lays out a proactive plan to do just that, without sticking to a diet or worrying about weight: "Weight loss is important but…I'm talking about changing how you view yourself, your relationship with food, your choices about how to live your life." Musante offers common-sense strategies that have worked for thousands of Center-goers, such as identifying one's food triggers and developing coping methods for each. He also includes easy-to-follow menu plans and ways to stay on track while eating out or on vacation. Both more and less than a traditional diet, this plan proscribes a lifestyle overhaul that appeals to mind, body and spirit. (Apr.)

ILLUSTRATED

 PHILIP MORSBERGER: A Passion for Painting
Christopher Lloyd. Merrell, $49.95 (128p) ISBN 9781858943763

This luxurious coffee-table book presents the lively, witty and wide-ranging work of Philip Morsberger, whose 60-odd-year career as a painter and educator is a case study in personal style, "conversant" with the art movements of his time but unrestricted by any of them. He trained at the Carnegie Institute and the Ruskin School of Drawing at Oxford in the 1950s, when the former was in an abstract expressionist revolt against the more traditional approaches of the latter. Thus, Morsberger does it all, from figurative works that showcase his draftsmanship skills to impressionistic canvases populated by bold colors and cartoonish figures, "his own mythical universe…a prelapsarian world in free-fall." Lloyd has succeeded in presenting Morsberger's complex oeuvre in all its splendor; the high-quality plates are numerous (77 in all) and a well-selected representation of Morsberger's artistic arc. Taken on its own, Lloyd's introductory essay is sufficient context for the plates, but the "Appreciations" at the end of the volume are the real gems here, highly personal testaments from friends that provide glimpses of Morsberger as a teacher, coworker, host and companion. There is little in the way of academic criticism, but anyone looking for an introduction to Morsberger's life and work (or simply a gorgeous volume to display) will enjoy this title. (Apr.)

POP ART: Contemporary Perspectives
Johanna Burton, Kevin Hatch, Suzanne Hudson, Alex Kitnick, Julia E.Robinson, Diana K. Tuite, preface by John Wilmerding, intro. by Hal Foster. Yale, $30 (160p) ISBN 9780300122121

This fine collection of critical essays on six artists of the Pop art movement kicks off the Princeton University Art Museum Monographs, a series of volumes aimed at scholars and more general readers interested in "delv[ing] more deeply into the complex narrative of art history." The six essays here cover Robert Indiana, Alex Katz, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol and Tom Wesselmann, a diverse array of artists with a wide variety of methods and results. Although the essays are as diverse as the subjects they treat, they all take as their starting point the reevaluation of received art-historical perspectives. On the whole, the young essayists shed new light on both Pop art in general and these six practitioners in particular. There's enough critical meat here to satisfy specialists in the field, a mixed blessing that can undermine its broader appeal; many arguments hinge on an above-average familiarity with larger trends in 20th century art and art criticism. Those looking for a basic introduction to Pop art should likely begin elsewhere, but anyone-specialist or otherwise-interested in an accessible critical engagement with the movement will find rich rewards here. (Apr.)

RELIGION

HARE KRISHNA TRANSFORMED
E. Burke Rochford Jr. NYU Press, $22 paper (288p) ISBN 9780814775790

Longtime Hare Krishna observer Rochford (a professor of sociology and religion at Middlebury College) shows that devotees, formerly known for their public chanting and controversial fund-raising practices, have largely moved out of the temples, taken jobs and established nuclear families. Using survey data and extensive interviews, Rochford investigates the attitudes of the original members' children (some of whom suffered abuse in the early Hare Krishna schools), the changing roles of women, differing modes of affiliation with the organization and the increasing influence of Indian Hindu immigrants in what is formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). His findings are generally clear and convincing, and he lets the devotees speak for themselves in frequent quotes. Rochford tends to discuss trends within ISKCON without much consideration for the cultural and political context of the last two decades, and he misses opportunities to draw connections between changes within ISKCON and the larger society; for example, internal debates about the interpretation and authority of scriptures certainly mirror conflicts taking place in mainstream American (and world) religion today. But this story of accommodation within a movement that forged its identity through strict rejection of secular culture provides valuable insight into how new religions evolve. (May)

THE NEW TESTAMENT WITH IMAGINATION: A Fresh Approach to Its Writings and Themes
William Loader. Eerdmans, $16 paper (188p) ISBN 9780802827463

Loader, an Australian Research Council professorial fellow at Murdoch University in Perth, reintroduces the New Testament to the modern reader in this interesting and accessible study of the texts, considered within their cultural context. The author well understands that reading ancient documents requires a knowledge of how people lived and societies functioned at the time of the writing. By bringing readers into the everyday experience of the New Testament writers, we gain a wider context in which to read the sacred writings. Loader uses the methods of modern criticism to clarify some of the puzzling aspects of biblical study-why, for example, do the gospel accounts sometimes read differently? And his study of John's writings, especially his exposition of the book of Revelation, helps restore balance to the field of apocalyptic studies. Loader argues that for Jesus, "people mattered most and other laws, which he continued to respect, took second place after loving one's neighbor as oneself." Loader reminds us that, even as an inspired document, the New Testament remains the product of human hands, written in a time and place long distant from our own experience. Immersing oneself in that environment is essential to obtaining a correct view of the life and teachings of Jesus and the apostles. (May)

FICTION

THE CASTRO GENE
Todd Buchholz. Oceanview (Midpoint, dist.), $24.95 (320p) ISBN 9781933515069

In Buchholz's awkward fiction debut, young boxer Luke Braden, the son of a Columbia literature professor, quits the ring after killing an opponent, but manages to begin a new career as a rising investment analyst for Paul Tremont, a megalomaniacal and seemingly omnipotent financial wizard. Braden finds his ethics sorely tested as he struggles to stay on Tremont's capricious good side, unaware that he's a pawn in a decades-long shadowy duel that originated in the Kennedy administration efforts to topple Castro in the 1960s. The recent decline in Castro's health makes the present-day plot to kill him on a secret trip to the U.S. less than credible. Buchholz, the author of From Here to Economy and other nonfiction books, offers a surprising explanation for President Kennedy's assassination at the climax, but clumsy prose ("The former Havana Hilton droops over the Havana skyline like an addled dowager who's misplaced her bra") may prove too much of an obstacle for most readers. (May)

DREAM OF THE DRAGON POOL: A Daoist Quest
Albert A. Dalia. Pleasure Boat Studio (SPD, dist.), $18 paper (336p) ISBN 9781929355341

At the start of this simplistic debut fantasy from Dalia, a Western scholar of China, the renowned poet Li Bo (based on the historical figure, Li Bai, A.D. 701-762) is drinking too much and writing too little since his exile from the emperor's court. Accompanied by his friend Ah Wu, a deadly crossbowman, Li Bo seeks guidance at the Dream Temple, where an immortal bequeaths him the magical Dragon Pool sword and assigns him a quest that will restore his literary powers. Li Bo must bring the sword to a rain goddess who inhabits a 12-peaked mountain in the Yangtze River's Three Gorges, but the sword attracts some dangerous characters: a blood dragon and his enslaved golden-haired ghost, as well as a ruthless albino swordsman. The beautiful Shamaness Luo, on a separate spiritual quest, is also headed to the 12-peaked mountain. While the story aspires to romantic chinoiserie, the bulk of it remains stubbornly earthbound. (May)

HOT STUFF
Janet Evanovich and Leanne Banks. St. Martin's, $7.99 (282p) ISBN 9780312941468

Evanovich fans will be delighted with this new novel, co-written with relative up-and-comer Banks. Working her formula to its fullest, Evanovich conjures the large, close, gently eccentric Madigan family that 26-year-old college student Cate calls her own. An aspiring teacher, Cate studies by day and bartends by night, living in the arty South End of Boston with an often-absent drag queen named Marty (Marta) Longfellow. The perfect living arrangement-"a big strong roommate…not interested in women," plenty of alone time and low rent-turns wholly suspicious when Marty disappears, leaving behind a lovable bullmastiff. Cate's sexy love interest, barroom regular Kellen McBride, is an "independent recovery agent" who believes that Marty is responsible for a string of one-of-a-kind jewelry heists; after Marty's place gets tossed, Cate teams up with him to track down the missing Marty before whoever's after him comes after her. Like other Evanovich novels, there's a madcap race to the finish while mysteries are solved and hearts are stolen; also like other Evanovich novels, it makes a highly satisfying read. (Apr.)

LEAPER: The Misadventures of a Not-Necessarily-Super Hero
Geoffrey Wood. WaterBrook, $13.99 paper (320p) ISBN 9781400073436

It's a bird…it's a plane…no, it's…. Leaper-man? In this quirky, kooky debut novel, Wood (himself a barista at Starbucks) imagines what it might be like if a 30-year-old, divorced, over-caffeinated coffeehouse barista were suddenly endowed with a superpower that allows him to leap through space. ("Like a butterfly in a bad breeze, I'm all over the place.") Narrated by "James" in first person, the story is littered with oddball behavior, hyper-anxiety ("you can never worry too soon"), and random musings, including a funny back-and-forth with a 911 operator. So, what's a superhero supposed to do? Does he need a costume? What about good deeds? A relationship with a fellow barista, Monica Oates, throws James into her family life, which resembles a sitcom. But even the sweet, longsuffering barista Monica finds a relationship with him difficult. Soon, James's bizarre power has cost him his job, his apartment, a potential love interest, and earned him some jail time. As James grapples with his God-given superpower, he decides he wants out. Wood is a funny, talented writer with a welcome, albeit unusual, voice in faith fiction. Readers will hope to hear more from him in the future. (June)

LOST AND FOUND
Jacqueline Sheehan. Avon, $13.95 paper (304p) ISBN 9780061128646

In her second novel, Sheehan switches genres from her debut historical about Sojourner Truth to a contemporary tale of grief featuring Rocky Pelligrino, a woman reeling from her husband's death. After her husband dies of a heart attack, Rocky leaves behind her career as a psychologist in the Berkshire Mountains and moves to Peak's Island, Maine, taking a job as an Animal Control Warden. Her first catch is a black Lab with an arrow lodged in his shoulder. She takes him in, searches for his owner and tries to solve the mystery behind the arrow's origin. Rocky makes a few friends-anorexic teenage neighbor Melissa and strangely attractive archery instructor Hill Johnson-and her mission takes a surprisingly dark turn after she learns of Cooper's original owners. Dog lovers will adore Sheehan's portrayal of Cooper, who, in contrast to all the human suffering, comprises the bright spot in a melancholy novel. (May)