Where No Storms Come / John Deane 258 p.

One of the more unusual novels I've read recently, this is the story of Dorothy Lohan and Patrick Brennan, growing up in postwar west Ireland. As children, they develop a strong bond, but adolescence takes both of them into the religious life. The plot is not the central feature here, though. Dorothy and Patrick's stories read more like a poem, with brief scenes conjured in simple, beautiful language. The death of a beloved grandparent and a joyful ice skating adventure are two particularly vivid scenes. With its portrayal of a culture heavily steeped in religious tradition, in many ways this novel feels more exotic than a Japanese police procedural I read recently. Of course, there is family dysfunction as the result of alcoholism, but in fact this is not the novel's central feature. --Kathleen