The Jackets

DeJesus (Nina) returns with a collection of vignettes in the lives of several women who all own jackets of varying hues. While the author's intention is to use those colors as springboards into emotional terrain, it's a rather thin thematic thread on which to build a satisfying book. Some tales connect to others, but most unfold unrelated. In one, a woman meets and runs away with a nature god. In another, a woman slumps into a deep depression after coming close to death, only to be rescued by the love of her best friend. Many of DeJesus's stories shimmer with magical realism, but several are simply mundane. While the author flirts with some interesting ideas, the book feels inchoate, as if she couldn't follow a tale through to its end. Likewise, characters tend to fit the same mold: blandly strong, slightly spiritual, mildly insecure women. While readers may appreciate her strong imagery, they'll grow frustrated at the lack of narrative depth. (Mar. 31)