The Flaming Corsage

Kennedy has won a large and loyal following, but you don't have to be a dyed-in-the-wool Kennedy fan to enjoy this latest addition to the famous Albany cycle of novels -- from whence come the likes of Ironweed, his Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award winner. The Flaming Corsage is a return to the same place, different time. Bouncing back and forth from 1884 to 1912, Kennedy's story is of wealth and class in Albany; his prose is at once moodily atmospheric and refreshingly clear -- an utter pleasure to read. The book is a historical novel, yet feels perfectly modern, and perfectly entertaining.