A True History of the Captivation, Transport to Strange Lands, & Deliverance of Hannah Guttentag

An acceptance to Cornell's graduate program causes a seismic shift in Hannah Guttentag's life. Moving to Ithaca in the early 90s, Hannah eagerly adapts from her Tennessee life to her "new badass Back East persona," starting the summer as a live-in nanny for the Careys. "Meatless breakfasts, homemade ricotta, no TV %E2%80%93 this was what I expected from New York. The weather, too, was so foreign it made sense." Out around campus she quickly meets Frank, a fellow grad student and a "hyper-organized neat freak with a system for everything" who has an uncanny way of stretching his limits in the academic system to retain his stipend while studying Advanced Fiber Arts or an "independent study on silence." Their romance begins with discussions about "theories of sexuality, the role of autoeroticism in the development of young men and women, and the remarkable lack of self-love in serious literature." Novelist Russell (Yellow Jack) succeeds with this comical study on academic banter, sex, and betrayal, interwoven with details from some of the Puritan-era narratives Hannah is studying. Each chapter is written like a quick snapshot, series of events, all tied together loosely with string. Russell captures the essence of the feminine narrative with humor and a refreshing candidness, illustrating a life and a woman's redemption using succinct and lyrical prose. (Aug.)