The Changeling
A scathing 1978New York Timesreview by Anatole Broyard was enough, according toFairy Tale Revieweditor Kate Bernheimer, to knock this second novel by 2001 Pulitzer finalist (forThe Quick and the Dead) and 1974 NBA finalist (forState of Grace) Williams quickly out of print. This 30th anniversary edition aims to redress the book's poor initial reception. A preface by Rick Moody prepares readers for a folklore-tinged look at the lucky and unlucky fortunes of a drink afflicted young woman called Pearl. The book casts its spell immediately, opening on a not so bad bar where Pearl sits drinking gin and tonics, an infant in the crook of her right arm.(Apr.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.