Books of the Month
'Grace, Tamar and Laszlo the Beautiful' by Deborah Kay Davies
 This is a collection of stories that also works as a novella. The stories aren't just linked thematically, they can - and should - be read consecutively to build up a story that unfolds over time. What holds the book together are the two sisters of the title, an equally uncomfortable pair we see growing up in Wales and learning about family, relationships, sex, and each other. Grace is quieter, but sly; Tamar is openly wild and wilful. To start with it seems their problems might only be with each other (and what one did to the other up a tree one day when they were both little). But as the girls get older it's clear that their experiences, and their peculiar take on the world, will influence their ability to form meaningful relationships with people beyond the family unit.
Davies' writing is astute, well observed and enjoyable. She resists softening her characters to make them more palatable - which only makes them more believable. Some of the situations described are as creepy as they are amusing. This is a coming-of-age book with a difference.
Susan Tranter
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