CURRENCY
But then Robin discovers that her credit cards are maxed out. Her first move is to ask her dad for a ticket home, and Piv’s instinct is also to cut his losses. He solves the money problem, though, by convincing an acquaintance to involve them in an international smuggling operation. Their work becomes progressively more dangerous, but the real tension in the story is always rooted in whether Robin and Piv can trust each other. Even as they fall deeper in love, each expects a betrayal. The conceit could easily become maudlin, but Zolbrod’s deft character development and graceful writing avoid the pitfalls. Even the fact that Piv’s narration is riddled with the small grammatical errors and odd turns of phrase common to nonnative English speakers comes across as appropriate rather than irritating. —Julia Thiel
THE LOST SUMMER OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
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Still, there are a couple compelling threads: Alcott’s father, Amos, a hanger-on among the transcendentalists, selfishly devoted himself to lofty reflection and pet causes, dooming his family to mooching and poverty. McNees convincingly depicts Louisa’s feelings as a mix of scorn and resentment with guilt, love, and desire for approval. Louisa’s fierce determination to be independent and earn her way by writing is also well put across—like Virginia Woolf, she insists on a room of her own, even if it should come at the cost of her best chance at love. An unexpected ending, far more bitter than sweet, shows that the cost is steep indeed. —Kate Schmidt
THE MAN WITH TWO ARMS
O FALLEN ANGEL
Stephen Markley
Sun 5/16, 5-7 PM, release party at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, 773-227-4433, 21+.
Wed 6/2, 7 PM, RUI: Reading Under the Influence, Sheffield’s, 3258 N. Sheffield, readingundertheinfluence.com, $3.
Wed 6/16, 7:30 PM, Book Cellar, 4736 N. Lincoln, 773-293-2665.
