Herb N Lorna

Fans of Kraft's serial novel The Personal History, Adventures, Experiences and Observations of Peter Leroy will send up a cheer at their hero's return and his rollicking, fond story about his grandparents and their secret passion. Known as Gumma and Guppa, she was cuddly and round, he could fix anything, and both were as comfortable and familiar as capacious old sofas. But Guppa died and then Gumma, leaving Peter a box of jewelry and sculpturemechanized, miniature eroticaand a note acknowledging his grandparents' lifelong involvement in erotic arts and crafts. To reconcile this revelation with his earlier perceptions, Peter investigates the particular life and times of Herb and Lorna, from their marriage after Herb's return from World War I through the family-raising years on Long Island where Herb sold Studebakers, to their Florida retirement. Evoking almost classically innocent times in the history of this century, Kraft keeps Herb 'n' Lorna at the heart of his wise and humorous, affectionate and witty novel. He weaves their unusual and startling avocation so seamlessly into their love story that readers will wonder what the fuss was all about, even as they weep to bid the pair goodbye. (April)