cover image Affliction

Affliction

Russell Banks. Harper Perennial, $13.99 (368pp) ISBN 978-0-06-092007-4

Divorced, inept, confused and stubborn Wade Whitehouse, harrowed by snow and bone-freezing cold for the several days of the novel's duration, is afflicted with a nostalgic, romantic streak. Wade's dream of marrying Margie, a goodhearted waitress, and making a home for his angry daughter Jill, slowly erodes. PW called this a ``masterful novel.'' (Sept.)