Meeting the English

In this trenchant debut novel, poet and memoirist Clanchy (Antigona and Me) reveals her humor, humanity, and striking facility with language amid potentially tragic events. The felling of a onetime famous playwright, Phillip Prys, by a stroke in his London home mirrors the dismantling of authoritarian world powers in 1989. Earnest and sensitive 17-year-old Struan Robertson, persuaded by his English teacher to apply for a position as Phillip's caretaker, travels from central Scotland to meet Phillip's dysfunctional family%E2%80%94his children, Juliet and Jake; their mother, Myfanwy; and his current wife, Shirin%E2%80%94whose compassion for Phillip varies. The summer is exceptionally hot, and while their elders struggle variously to adjust to Phillip's incapacity, the younger generation is in heat. By the novel's end, all the characters have faced trials that uncover inner tenderness. Clanchy shifts the narrative perspective among Struan, Phillip, Juliet, and Myfanwy, interlacing poignant analogy, vivid description, and nuanced characterization with arresting metaphor. A glossary of English slang would be useful for most American readers, but this novel will amuse and captivate regardless. (Mar.)