Book Rec of the Day 1/30/2007

“Ambitious.”—The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

“Dazzling.”—Chicago Tribune

“...firmly in the tradition of...Bellow.”—Publishers Weekly

Not bad for a first novel about three kids growing up in Chicago. (The “California” of the title is California Avenue.) Langer depicts growing up Jewish in the 1970s and adolescence in general with a keen, witty eye. This one was a critic’s pet, and readers made it a national bestseller. Try it and see why.

CROSSING CALIFORNIA, by Adam Langer (Riverhead Trade, 2005)