West of Venus

Troy follows her critically acclaimed story collection (Mourning Doves) with a bittersweet and splendidly quirky story of love and friendship in tiny Venus, Kans. Divorced and about to turn 36, Holly Parker works as a waitress and struggles to understand her rebellious 16-year-old son, Owen, who's involved in a May/December romance with the local sixth-grade teacher. Holly's best friend and co-worker at the Hearth, Marvelle Holman, has just been widowed by her husband's suicide. Both Holly and Marvelle have recently ended affairs--Marvelle a rather halfhearted liaison with Gene Rollinson, a local state trooper, and Holly with her married boss, Will Chaffee. Reluctantly drawn back into the romance wars, Holly and Marvelle find themselves faithfully courted by Lawson Dyer, the local vet, and his houseguest, Dick Spearman, a balding self-effacing hog-sperm salesman. While Marvelle battles mixed emotions toward the devoted Dick, Holly rebuffs Lawson and tries another fling with Will, who has now left his wife and kids. But Holly finds herself increasingly attracted to the steadfast Gene, who's now being ardently pursued by lusty Sue-Ellis Howard, yet another waitress at the Hearth. Despite some painful detours, Holly finally does ""grow into her own heart."" Troy has considerable storytelling gifts, notably a flair for pithy but telling dialogue. Above all, her work is distinguished by a keen and tolerant interest, never patronizing, in the ostensibly mundane routines of American courtship, labor and self-discovery. (May)