Under the Mosquito Net

Like Dunkel's well-received Every Woman Loves a Russian Poet , this intelligent, stylish romance focuses on a modern single woman. Maia Rose seems to have it all: an influential job as the beauty editor of Chic magazine; a glamorous New York lifestyle most women would die for. But after reaching the near-top of her profession, Maia begins to find her life shallow and banal. She yearns to get married, have children and abandon Manhattan for a simpler life. In Dunkel's skillful hands, what could have been merely a reworking of a tired cliche becomes a delightful novel about self-exploration and breaking down cultural barriers. When the Chic astrologer tells Maia that her life is about to undergo an abrupt change, she is skeptical--but not skeptical enough to stick to her original, somewhat vague vacation plans. She decides instead to go to Mexico and ends up in Dolores, a quaint village in the Yucatan. Maia participates voyeuristically in the insular lives and romances of the American expatriates who populate the tiny town, but only after a hurricane hits the hamlet does she really become involved in the community; it's almost as if this natural disaster were a needed slap in the face. The new, more relaxed Maia quits her job, rents a house and slowly becomes involved with a brooding Guatemalan refugee. But their romance is far from smooth. Miguel Angel, an intellectual and former schoolteacher, has to come to terms with his tragic past, and Maia has to learn to define herself in a new world. Dunkel handles this bumpy affair well; the couple's genuine affection for each other carries them through their misconceptions about ``gringas'' and ``Latinos.'' (May)