American Adulterer

Mercurio takes inspiration from the affairs of such notable (and libidinous) political figures as Bill Clinton to create a fictional but realistic account of John F. Kennedy's days in office. As controversial and prurient as it sounds, the treatment is empathetic: the philandering (and cameos by a coke-snorting Marilyn Monroe) are sobered by accounts of Kennedy's strained family life, immense political pressures, back pain, and headaches. Paul Boehmer brings lush theatricality and welcome restraint to his reading: he narrates with flair but never oversteps into caricature or cliché. JFK emerges as fallible, psychologically complex, and very human. A Simon & Schuster hardcover (Reviews, May 18). (Oct.)