THE AUSTRALIA STORIES

Pierce uses a family's intriguing history to produce a thoughtful, evocative portrait of Australia in this compelling first novel consisting of a collection of semi-autobiographical interlocking short stories. The narrator is a young American named Sam Browne, who returns to Australia, his mother's homeland, where he spent a year of his youth. His mysterious grandmother died alone in the Blue Mountains; years later, Sam's mother is to repeat her own mother's history. Sam pays tribute to both: "women who... have hearts too tender to absorb the loss inevitable in this life." Ranging back and forth in time, the stories begin with "Coachman's Paddock," set in 1979, which flashes back to Sam's first crush, in seventh grade, on his beautiful classmate, Kelly Richardson. Later on, Kelly and Sam spend a summer courting while Sam's mother dates Kelly's father. "Smoke" is a touching tale about Sam's failing marriage to Taylor, a driven, yuppie accountant, while "The Letter" brings Sam's grandmother back into the picture when he and Taylor discover one of her old manuscript collections of essays. In the graceful final story, Sam's girlfriend, Jolene, helps Sam reconcile himself with his past when she shares with him some strange dreams she has about his grandmother. Sam finally understands his relationship to his grandmother—"we were both lost and unsure of ourselves; we were looking for love to save us..."—and is able to reverse the family pattern. Pierce's ability to offer a fresh, compelling take on Australia is impressive and noteworthy. Written in clean, understated prose, his debut has plenty of depth and staying power. (Apr.)

Forecast:Blurbs from Jim Crace, Mark Winegardner and Robert Olen Butler attest to the promise of this first novel and should help its prospects.