All Stories Are Love Stories

Percer’s gripping, poignant second novel (after An Uncommon Education) serves as an unconventional love letter to San Francisco. Max begins his 34th birthday in a melancholy mood; he’s spent much of the past 14 years hung up on his high-school sweetheart, Vashti, who abruptly broke off their engagement to marry someone else. Coincidentally, Vashti, now widowed and back in San Francisco, seeks Max out at the theater where he works to wish him a happy birthday and possibly reconnect. But before they get a proper reunion, the city is hit by a series of earthquakes. Trapped in the rubble of the theater, Max and Vashti spend a harrowing night waiting for rescue and finding closure from the tragedy that tore them apart when they were young. Across town, Stanford geologist Gene is consumed with his need to get from Palo Alto to North Beach and his sick partner—and haunted by the knowledge that he failed to predict this disaster. San Francisco’s unique architecture, diverse neighborhoods, and colorful residents are vividly brought to life. The intertwined love stories in this remarkably drawn setting will keep readers absorbed until the final, tear-jerking moments. (Mar.)