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Show BEST SELLERS Here arethe bestselling bucks ast appear in next week's ie of F Weekly Hasdcoer fiction 4.pale Ota, by Tom Taney (Pw 21 Know This Much is Tree by Wally Norman’s Melancholy eenm Reviews of books of regional interest ee caethe Comey Ride through all of my character Norman said. “Thebig difference between my first two novels and BY NICHOLASA. BASBANES SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE © THE WEST UNDER COVER Authorpaints a picture of obsession and estrangementin Nova Scotia seum Guardis that this is In a compact oeuvre that now includes three taut novels and ia short-story collection. Ame an came to the writing of as he approached his 40th writer Howard Normancor to use the vast expanseof the Ca nadian landscape as a device to explore human emotion: The Museum Gua by no me: nad spent a Farrar. Straus & Giroux, 310 pages, $24) tedo. the 49-year-old author's early ing obsessionofits most enigmat- guages promptedhum to go not east toward Europe or west toward Asia. “The deeper you into Canada. it is possibleto e counter a different Indian lan guage every 200 or 300 miles,” he said. “As isolating as it may seem. the work | did, the languages. Howard Norman's latest book is “The Museum Guard.” ish woman named Imogen Michael R Eades itoDraadMary Dan Eades, M.D (Ban 8How Stella Got Her Groove Buck, by sry MeMillan (Signet 9. Guilt, by Joba Lescroart 10. as post Laid Plame,3 Sidney Sheldon (Warner 11. Unnatural » by Patricia Cornwell (Berkley 12. Detective, by Arthur Hanley (Berk ‘The Grilling Seasoa, by Diane Mott Davidson (Sante ‘Trade 1. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterood, by Rabeces Well HarperPereo 2Cold Mountain, by Charles Frater Vintage). 3. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff . and It's All Small Staff, by Richard Carlson(Hyperion) 4 Little Altars Bverywbere, by Redec ca Wells (HarperCollins 5. The God of SmallThings. by runt hati meet the TeacenSun, by Frances y Stephen E Day: mtrosS85, Touchstone . Chicken for the Teeaage Soul, by Canfield, Hansen and Kirberger (HCL Baby Handbook. 1996 The by Les and Sue Fox (West Highland Publishing) Ww. ‘Wild, by Jon Krakauer Doubleday, Anchor’ LL Water, oy James McBride (Riverhead) The novel is narrated by DeFoe Russet, the frustrated suitor to the young woman and the guard of the title, whotells us straight away that he “stole for Imogen Linny” from the painting in question the Glace Museu Or. phanedsince he was 8 — his parents died in a zeppelin accident — DeFoe works in the museumwith Edward Russet, the carousing un cle who raised him The theft of the painting. it develops, is just part of a combined effort an entire cast of quirky characters whohelp Imogen satisfy her craving for “ennoblement — to go to Amsterdam and tofulfill her destiny, whatever that might be given the uncertainties of the times. The central paradox presented in the novel is stated by Imogen after spending several ‘hoursex amining the womanin the paint ing: “I thinkshe’s living a true life and I amnot.” At another point she has this to say: “I am estranged from my soul.” Despite theobviously disturbed nature of Imogen’s attitude, Norman saw an opportunity to follow Imogen through to a logical conclusion. “I felt my only honest ly hostile serut mentalists whosee it sive and An interest in travel and lan ie character. In the novel. a 29-year-old Jew- Europe ata frightening pace. with world war clearly in the offing recent decades w n for the north country, taking jobs in Canada. and earning aaster’s deg from the Folklore Institute at diana University choice was to take her obsession to its farthest most point. It seemeda logical place for me to take her, even though she was ina state of illusion andirrationality My feelingis that yes. it is meta phorical, butit also could have happened. Despite the growing sense of anxiety andsadness that pervades y written and painstakrealized book that readers will have trouble putting down a recent interview. His poet JaneShore, teaches at George Washington Universi in Washington, D.C., where the couplelive when not encampedin rural New England “With this book it was impor: tant for me to get down toa certain state of melancholy. and to do this I listened to the same music, Bach’s unaccompanied cello pieces, for an hour everyday before writing.” Normansaid His earlier novels, Northern Lights (1987) and The Bird Artist (1994), also had Canadian settings, and each was a finalist for America’s most distinguished literaryprize for fiction, the Nation- al Book Award “L really live vieariously Other T Smithsonian Chil ORLANDO SENTINEL ® Davin, by Dan Gordon and Zaki Gordon (Dell Yearling. $4.50): In this tale within a tale (which the authors suggest grownups read to their favorite young. sters), Grandma Goddessrelates a bedtime story set during World War II, A little boy is very sick but Princess and Robin Hood — all cometo life to search for the mysterious bear. A Wrinkle in Time, deleine L Leaf, $5.50) gle by Ma- pelt tain of their stat environmentalists, while out the da n g does to wa are often unappreciative of butions to a Life- ‘althy ploit the earth. but it does so in memorable, important. and de serving ways. he recognizes all of ranching’s In thy one is so close ofthe Far North, pub: lished last fall, con. er two centuries has andinconsiste! and thatit has left many of today’s r tyle that is appealing and and was named a Notable Book but hestill vors it received wide- inch for n who gua born at winter ¢ hillsides toward thesalt placed there toe rage the mals to spend time on heights. away fromcreek bottoms. said hechose to place his fictional works in Canada for the most simply devote days onhors at a walk or trot, looking over the status and prospect of land straightforwardofreasons. “You write about a place that you want to keep investigating and to keep plants, and animals discovering in,” he said Thelifestyle, for Starrs. over- All of this comes out of my travels through Canada It has nothing to do with politics, it’s emotional dimension of the place that appeals so much to me. | know Canada won't adopt me, but 1 have adopted Canada. and | rides damageto the environment and economic shortcomings. Let the Cowboy Ride is essen Much of his argument, unfortu nately, is presented in unneces: sarily academic fashion There are numerous re! seure (at le: one ers, ple: of h little ones will ch approach that seems to proc im, L never met a statistic | n't like Yet, for the persistent reader looking to examine a contentious issue without being pulledinto se- mantic extremes of right or left Starrs offers a balanced, fair minded, and thorough view of ranching in contemporary America Starrs sees thefrontier as being vibrant andalive in the American West, and that is at the heart of his attitudes. He explores a defi nition of “frontier” used a centu tially, as Starrs points out in his ry ago in a famous essay written introduction. a geography book for the Census Bureau by Freder Thereis history andsociology and tribute, but mostly it is about land and governmentland policy and therelationship between humans ick Jackson about it. and land. Nicholas A. Basbanes is a col umnist andliterary critic based inition is applied today. Starrs government policy of “throwing notes, 80 percent of Nevada is landat citizens to fuel the march of American progress.” Free or cheaplandwas used to entice An. percent of Montana. 41 percent of have no qualms whatsoever He traces what herefers to as a in Massachusetts. glos to move west. to displace Native Americans and Hispanics ly used for ranching. symbol of an austere, self-reliant, Charles Wallace set out on a jour ney through time and space to rescue him. And when Charles Yet, it is that individualism that attracts peopleto ranching today ageofthe ranch hand, or cowboy The ranch handis theultimate individualistic vigor,” a figure he sees as a “mythopoetic person Certainly money doesn't. Most ranches lose moneyfortheir own- Wall s transformed by the powersof evil, Meg comesto un- Utah. While Starrs seestheseas and love. (Age 10 and up) he does believe land with so few people is appropriate Somelandsare too preciousto graze.” he admits, “and some ranchers are too bad to be permitted to use public land.” But the book's tone is summed upinits final words: “ranching in the West should be encouraged Mare Naparsteck in a novel Bodyin Motion... SeptemberSale, 20% Off! Reference, Science, and Audio Books: Ski Snowbird for as low as ae General Reference, Foreign Language, Organization, Home Repair, Computers, rial, Antiques, Crafts, Decorating, Etiquette, Fashion, Home ny, Dinosaurs, Geology, Math, Physics, Chemistry, General Offer includes New and Used Books per day. am Weller’s New, Used, and Rare Call Snowbird before Labor Day and save on Snowbird Season Ticket packages. You can ski Snowbird for as low as $29* a day. For moreinformatio: and to purchase yours call 801-933-2215. janted + 100—Help Wanted ee Rees BOOKS snowbirdyy 254 South Main, Salt Lake City 328-2586 568 -0130 8191 South, 700 E st, Sandy www.samwellers.com Unlimited Season Pass $899” 100—Help Wanted Danes 100—Help Wanted 100—Help Wanted 100—Help Wanted 100—Help Wanted Sunday, August 30 ba pace, To to continue. ers. Most of the land that ranchers lease in Western states, Ste derstand the meaning of courage ‘sta. tistical” and not necessarily real contributed to an inaccurate im grew fromthat policy, he notes pro- frontier, 44 percent of Idaho. 41 frontiers, Murry’s scientist father disappears while experimenting with time travel. Meg. her friend Cal vin andhergenius young brother Turner. one that claimed the frontier to be dead That definition said frontier was any landwith fewer than two resi dents per square mile. If that def- Much of the ranch culture that already has more than 10 million copies in print. When Meg bear called Davin to save him. But no one knows where Davinis until some miniatureliterary figures — including a Little Bugle Boy, a ked on v ranching’s co anniversary this year, L’Engle's Newbery Award-winning classic believes in the power of a teddy Ameri Sand who phy at the Nevada, defends fo though heseesa lot wrongwith it dren’s book. How Glo wits the Ice Giants and the editing of an anthology, North Another children’s book, The Girl » Dreamed Only Geese and Atranslator of Native Ameri can tales anda naturalist whohas spent many months living in re mote northern regions, Norman during howo > tation of Phe teacher ofliterature at the L time resident of Calais, Vt., said Paul F. St cle: Narrative Poem Swampy Cree Ind spread praise, versity of Maryland and a part ways than it ergized. “I tried to write a novel that was very much about the sense of incipient doom.” Norman, a PAPERBACKSIN BRIEF BY NANCY PATE marginal antic way and aeceoned an that it utilizes the physi usin aries of a three-roomart galler’ in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a haunting painting that it contains. as a vehicle for probing the driv- $ The Day Diana Dind, by Chrstoper Andersen (Morrow 4. The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, by Suze Orman (Random House) at Pitty, dy Jimny Buffett (Random House 6. The fext Door, by Thou: as J. Stanley andWiliam D. Danko Longstreet . Angela's Ashes. by Frank McCourt Seribaer} Bryson 8. A Walk ia the Woods, b Broadway . A Mook by Malachy MeCourt (Hyperion) 10. In the Meantime, by Iyanla Vanzant 11, Mea Are From Mars, Women Are From Veons, by John Gray (Harper lins) 12. Marilu Henner's Total Health Ma . by Marily Heaner vith Laura Morton(ReganBooks) 19. Chinen Saddler, be SophieE Am deose coeCoe Noubead.by Nicholas Sparks L raeen Warner Vision) 2. Dr. Atkins” New Diet Revolution, by y Sebastian dee acer 4. Into Thin Air, by Joo Krakauer (An hase. raise, andsell rs contributes to the les. SS To Ohio, he grew upin Rapids. latest ef: fervently believes she is the person whoselife is captured sotellingly on the canvas of a Dutch painting called “Jewess on a Street in Amsterdam.” The story takes place in 1938, when Adolf Hitler is coasolidating power in Cattle are the most expensive of all domesticated live to late in life. a goodd ely involved in othe fort, is particularly noteworthy in t . Che Sal Lakegnoune SUUR SUNDAY, August 30, 1998 1998 Ohe Salt Cake Tribune shite Raine Mint A < we |