The Year of Silence

Madison Smartt Bell. Penguin Books, $12.95 (208pp) ISBN 978-0-14-011533-8

A woman's life, and death, are viewed through the eyes of a lover, friends and acquaintances. ``This novel's structure combines delicacy and great tensile strength,'' praised PW , ``Bell's voice is increasingly diverse, accurate and, in this book of mourning, powerfully moving.'' (Feb.)

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