Jon Hassler's sacramental imagination brightens a world grown gray with the banality of reality television and teenage paranormal romances.

In an age habituated to sensationalism and big effects an austere and nuanced novel like Isobel English rsquo s Every Eyelike the work of her French predecessor Gustave Flaubertmay not appeal to everyone Even Madame Bovary has the soap opera appeal of adultery a theme by the way it shares with

An outspoken critic of the Bush administration and the Catholic Church James Carroll is a former priest who is becoming a redoubtable figure in contemporary letters Since 1974 besides writing a regular column for The Boston Globe he has published over a dozen books including novels memoirs a

A quaintly phrased prologue seeks a ldquo most gracious and deliberate rdquo reader rsquo s trust The voice of ldquo a minor cleric rdquo a preacher long at his post reveals that he has committed ldquo Davidic sins rdquo But now in older age he rests content in his work because of the st

For those familiar with the novels of Jon Hassler coming to his newest novel The Staggerford Flood will be a series of surprise reunions Which is perhaps part of his purpose For The Staggerford Flood is also a series of surprise reunions for the novel rsquo s chief character Agatha McGee th