WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO THE CLASS OF '93? Start-Ups, Dropouts, and Other Navigations Through an Untidy Decade

Colin, a former writer and editor for Salon.com, believes that his high school class represents the important societal events that have occurred between 1993 and today. His classmates were unified by a feeling of invincibility. Well before a shadow of terrorism and economic gloom took hold of the country, these students had no limits on their future and could set out to accomplish virtually anything. That's why Colin chose to profile 20 of his classmates from Virginia's Jefferson High School. The public school, located just outside of Washington, D.C, was a specialized school and attracted some of the most gifted students in the area. The author introduces readers to a diverse group of people. There is Karen, the rebellious but ambitious student who abruptly walks out of her LSAT exam and becomes an inner-city teacher; Ryan, who ends up abandoning his dream of being a doctor and practices Buddhism; Lesley, who has faced serious bouts with depression since graduation. Colin allows his classmates to offer observations on one another, and after each profile, he offers more general commentary on his life and that of his classmates. Colin is a skilled writer and makes these profiles of unknown people surprisingly interesting. Unfortunately, Colin's interpretation of his reunion and his friends isn't strong enough to make this compelling social history. Agent, Daniel Greenberg. (May)

Forecast: The clever title and Colin's ties to the press may help early on, but this book may have a tough time sustaining sales.