Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace

Buchanan debuts with the folksy story of a curmudgeonly woman in 1950s Paducah, Ky. Minerva Place, an eccentric and widowed writer, is the subject of gossip because of the tombstone rubbings she makes and her belief that spirits are begging her to tell their stories. Aside from playing organ at the church and teaching piano lessons, she generally keeps to herself until single father Robert McAlpin and his six-year-old son, George, move to her neighborhood. Initially, Minerva finds them a disturbance—she calls the rambunctious George a “scallywag”—but after she accepts Robert’s invitation to Thanksgiving dinner, she has a change of heart. Then, just as the three begin to form a bond, Minerva causes a catastrophic accident, changing all of their lives and forcing her to reexamine her priorities. Along with the brisk pacing and knotty protagonist, Buchanan adds plenty of homespun details (nasty weather visits Paducah “like a disagreeable aunt”). This slice of life is one to savor. (June)