The Faces of Strangers

Nicholas Grand, an outgoing New Yorker and wrestler, and Paavo Sokolov, a quiet, puzzle-loving Estonian, first meet as high school students in a prestigious post%E2%80%93Cold War exchange program called Hallstr%C3%B6m. When each travels to the other's country, they encounter a new culture and also each other's sisters. Mari Sokolov is an up-and-coming model; Nora Grand, who has prosopagnosia, quite literally doesn't recognize anyone's face. The four young people become linked from the moment the two boys meet, and their relationships span the two countries and more than 10 years. Their intertwining lives take twists and turns that are sometimes overly complicated. The narrative explores the power of intercultural experiences to shape not only who people become as individuals but perhaps even how their experiences may influence international relations. Hallstr%C3%B6m is intended to teach young people from different places about each other, but the four characters end up learning the most about themselves. (Apr.)