House of Sand and Fog, Andre Dubus III

This is one depressing book. It's hard to tell you a whole lot about it without giving away the plot, but the setup is this: Kathy Nicolo is a hardup cleaning woman living in a house in Corona, California, that she inherited from her father. She's evicted one day because of a tax bill that isn't hers, and the police officer who does the job falls for her right away. The house, once she's out, is sold to an Iranian family who, despite appearances, have this one chance to turn their finances around. The county discovers its mistake in evicting Kathy, but the Iranian refuses to give back the property. Her lawyer tells her to stay away from the house, but Kathy can't, and of course, the Iranians don't take to this very well. The book quickly slides down a slope of threats, intimidation and depression. The big lesson? Don't judge people by the way they look, or their possessions -- inside, everyone is just fucking miserable. Well-written, but it'll make you suicidal even if you're feeling fine.
Posted by supersusie at April 6, 2004 10:13 PM