cover image What's Bred in the Bone

What's Bred in the Bone

Robertson Davies. Penguin Books, $15 (448pp) ISBN 978-0-14-009711-5

Born into an eccentric, wealthy Canadian family, Francis Cornish endures a lonely and pious upbringing to become a respected art appraiser and collector. This is the tantalizing story of his transformation, related with satisfying moments of intrigue and mystery. ""Taut and compelling,'' PW wrote. (NovemberpA highly accomplished first novel by the author of But Not in Shame and The Rising Sun, this work follows the course of World War II in the Pacific from the points of view of an American and a Japanese family who are joined by friendship and marriage but divided by national allegiance. PW found Gods of War distinguished by its ``sweep, scrupulous attention to detail, broad humanity and balanced perspective.'' (November)