PRETTY GIRL IN CRIMSON ROSE (8): A Memoir of Love, Exile, and Crosswords

Obsessed with the "narrative quality" and linguistic challenge of cryptic crosswords, London-based TV journalist Balfour sees them as an eloquent metaphor for life: "Crosswords tell stories about ourselves. Crosswords express our humanity.... And British crosswords do it better than any others." In 1983, aged 21, Balfour left his native South Africa, seeking "a bigger world out there, a world where ideas have greater currency, and where words mean more." Journeying in Europe, Africa and America, he became increasingly fascinated with cryptic crosswords, which he links to his travel tales: "We take a bus to the outskirts of Zagreb. Years later I see a clue for Zagreb in the Independent. " Headed to Moscow, he took "three pieces of identity"—his South African ID document, his passport and an anthology of Guardian crosswords. He spoke with many crossword "setters," and some may wish for lengthier profiles of these erudite editors plus more anecdotes such as the one about a man who proposed marriage via clues hidden in a 1998 New York Times puzzle. The reader is introduced to the working methods of the Guardian's clever, prolific setter who uses the name Araucaria and has produced more than 57,000 puzzles. In Balfour's polished prose, "every word is pregnant with possibility." Doubly lit with wit, this memoir of layered meanings is written with the realization that "the invisible web of words that binds all knowledge is something real and tangible." (Mar. 1)

Forecast:An endorsement from New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz will bring Balfour to the attention of puzzle addicts.