'The Mockingbird Next Door,' by Marja Mills

When Michael Dirda took this summer off discerning readers of The Washington Post Book World were most likely disappointed They enjoy Dirda rsquo s erudite yet accessible reviews each Sunday The range of Dirda rsquo s interests and the breadth and depth of his literary knowledge are quite impress

For its ambitious scope the grace and beauty of its language and its compelling storytelling Cormac McCarthy rsquo s Border Trilogy - nbsp All the Pretty Horses The Crossing and Cities of the Plain - nbsp was a major literary achievement in American letters in the latter part of the 20th century