Nothing Can Make Me Do This

Family secrets slowly unravel in Huddle's (The Story of a Million Years) account of a large family and their effervescent patriarch, Horace Houseman. His granddaughter, Eve, reveals his secret as the novel opens, and though it seems absurd and over blown to her, as the story progresses, it means much more. Each chapter divulges the innermost thoughts of those who lived the moments and felt the betrayal, successfully articulating a beloved granddaughter's blind conviction, a son-in-law's honesty, a dear friend's turmoil, and a grieving wife's sadness and anger. The sexual escapades of nearly every character pepper the pages with lucid passion and allow a peek into the eroticism of each relationship. These moments are honest and sexually charged, though sometimes illicit and disturbing. Each person's perspective on sex reveals their differences, usually having some correlation to their generation and experience. Huddle's novel is ravishing, charged with both desire and emotional turmoil; his insights, though sometimes unsettling, skillfully mirror reality. (Oct.)