The Peculiars

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry. Upon receiving on her eighteenth birthday two envelopes from the mysterious father who long ago abandoned her and her mother, Lena Mattacascar determines to use the money left in one of the envelopes to track him down and learn why he left and what he truly is. If he is part goblin as she suspects, what does this mean about her? She already has goblin-like, oversized hands and feet; has she also inherited her father's temperament and character? In an alternative world that resembles the 19th-century American West, goblins and other "peculiars" are scorned as uncivilized and soulless. There is a movement afoot to find peculiars and exile them to the northern territory of Scree, where they can be monitored and put to work for the government. Lena's efforts to get to Scree are fraught with complications: most of her money is stolen; she starts to work for Dr. Beasely, a rich and eccentric inventor who may be involved in illegal and inhumane trafficking with peculiars; she is torn between her attraction to Marshall Thomas Saltre, who needs her help to investigate Beasely, and Jimson Quiggley, a student of evolution who doesn't believe in goblins. She is also constantly aware of her own hands and feet and worries about being identified and persecuted as a peculiar herself. McQuerry has written a coming-of-age story filled with adventure and romance, with a strong central character. Recommended.

Art of Fielding

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach takes the prize as the most satisfying, entertaining novel of the summer [so far]. The setting is a small, Wisconsin school, Westish College, whose baseball team, the Harpooners, has suffered for years from mediocrity. That is, until phenomenally gifted shortstop Henry Skrimshander joins the team. Henry is first recruited and then mentored by team catcher Mike Schwartz. The Harpooners start winning, and the team looks like it will go all the way to a national championship. Then Henry inexplicably sends an errant throw into the Harpooner dugout, where it hits his friend and roommate Owen in the face. As a horrified Henry's life starts to unravel so do the lives of Westish College's president, Guert Affenlight, who falls in love with Owen, Mike, who can't figure out how to fix Henry's problems or his own, and Guert's daughter Pella, who finds herself caught between Henry and Mike while struggling to rebuild her life following a failed marriage. Harbach pokes fun at academia and college sports, but also shows great affection for his many flawed and complex characters. Highly recommended.