Chaos Clear as Glass: A Memoir

In this memoir, Hyman, columnist for the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, guides readers through old neighborhoods and memories, ``looking for ourselves in all the places where we used to be.'' The author recalls her grandmother, ``Aunt Pet,'' and the Florida homeplace over which she lovingly presided. We're made privy to Hyman's ruminations on her roles as wife, mother, widow, as well as visitor to a cousin who became a Benedictine nun. The terrain broadens as the author recounts the crowning event of her journalistic career, representing her paper on a perestroika trip to the Soviet Union. This gentle memoir with its comforting tone will appeal mainly to those already acquainted with the veteran reporter's columns. (June)