ON THE DIVINITY OF SECOND CHANCES: A NOVEL
Book ID/图书代码： 06830009B33321
English Summary/英文概要： A broken family finds its way back together in this captivating story from the author of Church of the Dog
A charismatic author with a voice and message all her own, Kaya McLaren has become beloved in the book world as much for her upbeat energy as for her rich storytelling. In On the Divinity of Second Chances, she portrays a family on the brink of dissolution—a mother besieged by middle age, a distant father lost in daily life, and their three teenage children struggling in various ways with the family’s disintegration even as they conceal a secret that could send their parents further over the edge. With the help of a group of tap-dancing old ladies, a sensual tango teacher, and a lot of luck, this family is about to learn that everyone gets a second chance which, as McLaren beautifully reminds us in this inspiring novel, is sometimes even better than the first.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 《狗的教堂》一书的作者，在这部迷人的小说中，讲述了一个破碎的家庭重新团聚的故事。以其独有的声音和信息，作为一个充满着魅力的作家，凯亚·迈凯伦因她乐观向上的精神和丰富的故事情节而成为业界的宠儿。在《第二次机会的神圣性》一书中，她描绘了一个濒临解体的家庭，一个沦陷于中年危机的母亲，一个在日常生活中迷失的被疏离的父亲，以及夫妇俩的三个处于叛逆期的孩子们以以各种方式挣扎着面对家庭的分崩离析，而此时他们隐藏了一个可能会让他们父母越陷越深的秘密。在一群跳踢踏舞的老太太们，一位性感的探戈舞蹈老师，和一点点运气的助力下，这个家庭即将知道，每个人都有获得第二次机会的权利，正如作者本人在这部鼓舞人心的优美小说中提醒我们的那样，我们有时不必过于患得患失，人生何处不是风景，随意便好。(Sandy)
Awards/获奖情况：McLaren’s touching if too busy newest weaves together a complex set of family narratives. Phil and Anna’s 30-year marriage is crumbling: Anna sleeps in the yard, and Phil busies himself with inane projects. Their oldest daughter, Olive, gets knocked up by her immature boyfriend and quits her bank job to move in with her grandmother. Son Forrest left home at 14, consumed with guilt from a tragic mistake, and could be dead for all Phil and Anna know, though youngest daughter Jade knows where Forrest is, but keeps that, and many other things, secret. As the family drifts farther apart, it will take tango lessons, bagpipes and enormous effort to bring its members back together. While the book starts slow, it picks up steam quickly, though McLaren tries to stuff too much into the narrative, switching character perspectives at an annoying clip. That aside, McLaren manages to present a rich cast dealing gracefully with spirituality and mortality, a not inconsiderable feat considering the material is ripe for kitsch. ---From Publishers Weekly
Jade’s family is slowly pulling apart. Her grandmother lives on a farm and spends her days angrily shooting at her neighbor with a pistol. Her father, sidelined by a heart attack, putters around the house alphabetizing everything and secretly reading Forbes magazine. Her mother deals with the throes of menopause by painting pictures of raisins. Her older sister, Olive, was recently dumped by her boyfriend because she refused to live in a tipi in the woods with him. Her younger brother, Forrest, who committed a horrible crime at age 14, lives in self-exile in a tree house in the Idaho wilderness. Jade herself is doing all right, even if the only assistance she gets is from her spirit guide, Grace. When Olive abandons her job and reveals that she is pregnant, the family members realize they’ve reached a crisis point and they must come back together to find what they’ve lost along the way. McLaren’s involving novel is an uplifting story about unconditional love and family ties.---Hilary Hatton, From Booklist
About the Author/作者介绍： Kaya McLaren teaches art and lives on the east slope of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington state with her dog, Big Cedar. Her second novel, On the Divinity of Second Chances, will be published by Penguin in winter 2009.
Format:PROOF
Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE
Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE
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