Cambridge

This deeply autobiographical, introspective coming-of-age novel by Kaysen (Girl, Interrupted) requires a great deal of its narrator, who must give life to many different characters of varying ages and nationalities. Actress Mazur, best known for her roles on TV shows Alias and The Closer, succeeds with several of these characters—particularly Susanna, the complex protagonist, who narrates the story. Mazur wisely avoids a bright, innocent, girlish voice for Susanna, an observant and misunderstood child who feels adrift as she accompanies her father, a Harvard economist, on sabbaticals across Europe in the late 1950s. Mazur also nails the tone of Susanna’s pragmatic and critical mother. Less consistent are the accents of the novel’s many international characters: the Swedish nanny, the Italian fashionista, the Greek guide, the Indian music teacher. While the Indian accent is reliably strong, the others flit in and out. Overall, Mazur’s quiet, almost meditative narration is appropriate for this roman à clef, despite a few weak spots. A Knopf hardcover. (Mar.)