The Debtor Class

A chance encounter with collection-agency owner Philyaw leads ex-con Bento to a job and an unexpected sense of belonging in this gripping, elliptical novel from Goldman (Isaac: A Modern Fable). Bento and colleague Liz Huizar—who racked up student loans to obtain a master of library science degree, then found herself working as a dancing chicken for a fast-food restaurant—are at the center of an eccentric cast, including Bogart look-alike Philyaw; Gillespie, an unscrupulous cop whose Y2K fears led him to imbibe silver, permanently turning his skin blue; and Roland Sussman, a bestselling writer who returns from a three-year retreat in a commune to learn that his ex-girlfriend has stolen all his assets. Though Goldman doesn’t develop all his potentially intriguing characters or give much more than cursory accounts of their interactions, this is a sobering and triumphant read about the recent recession’s effects on average Americans, the challenges ex-convicts face in society, and the bonds people forge in unlikely circumstances. (Apr.)