Lynn Lauber

I began reading this book expressly because the author and I grew up in the same area, and I was curious to find similarities between our hometown and her fictional creation of Union, Ohio, the setting for "21 Sugar Street." What I was not expecting to find was one of the most enjoyable, compelling and thought-provoking novels I've read. From its opening pages, Lauber treats us to unflinching portraits of small-town psyches, revealing her characters' fears and selfish desires in ways that are both disturbingly and reassuringly familiar. Her construction of a community divided physically and psychologically by race yet unconciously united by deep and subtle ties is masterful.
'He saw that underneath small-town life lurked monumental possibilties," she writes," but that the ground sometimes had to shift before they gave way."
Considering that the real town upon which Union is presumably based continues to struggle in significant ways with issues regarding civil rights and race relations, "21 Sugar Street" is relevant, worthwhile, revelational, compassionate and hopeful reading.
And as if that alone were not enough, Lauber is simply a very good writer. Her choice of words, the creativity of her metaphors, and a skillful touch of bringing these literary devices close enough to the surface to keep them accessible make her work appealing on many levels. "Wow," you'll find yourself reacting as you savor another well-crafted phrase, "I wish I had written that."… (més)