Los Angeles - September 08, 2009

Hurts So Good

"A Gate at the Stairs," by Lorrie Moore

Strange how a Cinema Paradiso/Steel Magnolias/Life Is Beautiful triple-feature sobfest can be so damn satisfying.

For a literary equivalent, try Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs, a breathtaking new novel set in the Midwest right after 9/11.

Wide-eyed college sophomore Tassie Keltjin decides to earn extra money by nannying for a seemingly sophisticated middle-aged couple. The catch: They’re still in the process of adopting, so Tassie must accompany them to meet prospective mothers — all stories unto themselves.

When they finally adopt an adorable baby, the couple’s story begins to unravel — and issues like race and parenting rear their ugly heads. All the while, Tassie’s involved in her first relationship with a mysterious Brazilian who isn’t what he seems.

Yes, you’ll wanna have some tissues ready — and we’re not even getting to half of it.

But the saddest part will be when it’s over.

Available online at amazon.com or at your local bookstore.

Keep the pages turnin’ with more great reads from our bookshelf.