Walking Across Egypt

January 1, 1987
Psychiatrist Tom More of Love in the Ruins reappears in one of the most accessible of Percy's novels. The author has not abandoned his serious inquiry into the nature of good and evil, but he has integrated his philosophizing into a fast-paced narrative with the suspense of a thriller. When Moreon parole from federal prison where he did time for selling drugsreturns to his Louisiana hometown, he immediately notices bizarre personality changes in many people, including his wife Ellen. All exhibit suppressed cortical function, manifested in strange speech patterns and sexual behavior. With the help of his cousin, epidemiologist Lucy Lipscomb, More discovers the source of this syndrome: the town's drinking water has been laced with heavy sodium from the area's nuclear facility. Leading citizens of the community are involved, all in the name of benevolent eugenics and social concern. Parallels to the workof Nazi doctors are made obvious to More by a disgraced parish priest. Tension grows as the conspirators threaten to send More back to jail if he exposes them. As usual, Percy's ear for languageespecially the layers of meaning in even the most casual conversationis superb. This book is as timely as its concerns with child abuse and ultraconservative zealotry, and as classic as its exploration of the eternal verities. 75,000 first printing; BOMC dual main selection.

March 1, 1987
This second novel by the author of Raney is warm and comforting, like a visit to Grandma's. Mattie Rigsbee, at 78, is slowing down. She plans her funeral so as not to be a burden; she supports the local Baptist church and entertains herself with hymns at the parlor piano; she tries not to meddle in her children's lives, though she does wish they'd marry; she longs for grandchildren. Then comes Wesley. Reared in an orphanage until he graduated to the reformatory, Wesley touches her heart, revives a life gone to seed. Just as he needs a grandmother's love and stability, so Mattie needs his challenge, dependence, and love. How she reconciles that need before family, neighbors, and church congregation is a beautiful story of determination, made more poignant by a Southern small-town setting. BOMC alternate. Thomas L. Kilpatrick, Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale

Copyright 1987 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 1987
YA -A quietly humorous story set in a small town in North Carolina. Seventy-eight year old Mattie Riggsbee, spunky and determined, has one regret: she has no grandchildren, as her son and daughter inconveniently remain unmarried. The story gathers momentum after a slightly sluggish start, when Wesley Benfield, wayward teenager and orphan, comes into Mattie's life. Their need for each other is apparent, and their attempts to get together, despite the disapproval of Mattie's family and neighbors, are the focus of the story. Wesley is captivated by Mattie's good cooking and grandmotherly attention, and when he escapes from a house of detention, he heads straight to Mattie. There is a hilarious scene in church, where the fleeing Wesley and the pursuing deputy sheriff, both disguised as choir members, sit beside each other in full view of the congregation. Edgerton infuses all of his characters with reality, and provides a balanced perspective on age and youth. His understanding of teenagers is nowhere more evident than in the contrast between the reality of Wesley's situation and the humor of his exaggerated fantasies. Rita G. Keeler, St. John's School, Houston