Kirjahaku

Jack Bridges is the popular principal at Great Forest elementary school in suburban Washington, D.C. His easy manner and likeability contribute to his success and job satisfaction. Each day, he attends to his work and returns home to his wife Greta and their three young sons, Chris, Bud, and Sam. Nina Talbott is a housewife living near the school. She is raising two daughters, Polly and Elaine, while her husband Tom travels frequently for his job. Eventually, and inevitably, Jack and Nina connect and consummate a passionate affair, thereby setting into motion a relationship full of private excitement and hope for future happiness. Jack also experiences a personal epiphany when he returns to the small Michigan lakeside town where he spent an idyllic youth. But a personal tragedy forces him to make a fateful and likely irrevocable life choice. Set in the 1980s, Jessie Thorpe's enthralling second novel contains the signature intelligence and piercing insights into the human condition she displayed in Bolton Roper, her highly praised debut work. She infuses Mr. Bridges with irresistible details and lush descriptions, proving again why she has rapidly established herself as one of literary fiction's premier writers.

You might not have heard of Jessie Thorpe or read any of her reviews during 2002 and 2003. But during her time at United Press International, she quickly gained a loyal following for her breezy but insightful critiques of books, films and occasional social events. One newspaper even created a special design for her featured reviews. It was fitting. Using her lifetime love and study of literature and nonfiction, Jessie Thorpe had developed the keenest of eyes for spotting new and emerging talents -- and for poking well-deserved holes into substandard works by famous authors and personalities. Her book reviews consistently presented unique perspectives and insights, and her thoughtful essays matched the observational prowess of much more widely known commentators. They remain trenchant and persuasive despite the passage of time. So, if you love literature, if you appreciate a clear thinker, please sample the small wonders presented here.