The Illusionist

In this delicately handled tale of a man who is not what he seems, young, androgynous Dean Lily arrives in Sparta, N.Y., aspiring to be a professional magician. From Dean's first appearance at the Wooden Nickel bar, where he beats his nemesis Brian Perez at cards and wins the attention of every woman in the joint, the theme of Dean's life is established, and over the course of the novel its variations are played out in the voices of Dean and the women who love him. First taken home by Chrissie, a nurse with a big heart and low self-esteem, Dean soon seduces Chrissie's supervisor, then Brian's girlfriend, as he flees a shady past of similar sexual conquests. But is Dean the playboy he seems? The revelation of his secret--by then no secret to the reader--plunges the town into a fit of smug barbarism. Through the cruel climax and beyond, Dean remains an alien to Sparta--human only in the understanding, appreciative eyes of the women whose biology he accidentally shares. Smith (Remember This) explores the shadowy terrain of transgender existence with assurance, and supplies a frisson of suspense as Dean cuts a tragic path through his victims' lives. (Nov.)