The Book of Speculation

The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler, 339 pages

The son of a carnival mermaid and brother of a tarot reader, Simon Watson is a reference librarian who's about to get laid off (damn budget cuts) when he receives an old, mysterious book in the mail. It's the log book and diary from a traveling circus dating back to the 1770s, and a rare books dealer has sent it to Simon because Simon's grandmother is mentioned. As he starts digging into the book, Simon realizes that the women of his family have all died in the same unlikely manner... and on the same day of the year. Alternating with the chapters about Simon and his dive into history, Swyler presents the story of Amos, a mute wild boy-turned-tarot reader whose story is told in Simon's mysterious book.

The story took a while to get going, but once it did, I really enjoyed it, particularly the historical chapters (I had trouble suspending disbelief when it came to Simon's assertion that a reference librarian has no need to be a "people person."), though once Simon's sister Enola and her electrically charged boyfriend Doyle show up, the modern chapters get a bit more interesting. Well worth the read though, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Swyler has up her sleeve.