by Jim Lynch (Random House, $25.95)

Jim Lynch's previous novel, The Highest Tide, was one of those books I loved obsessively that never seemed to find its audience. I think this amazing new novel is going to get Lynch the attention he deserves. It's an ensemble piece about the idiosyncratic residents of a contentious Canadian/American border town, in a present day much like our own. It's inflected with a knowledge and passion for nature--especially birds--so strong it makes you want to learn the names of every animal and plant you see. It's a book that will spark conversations about outsiders, artists and originality, government and media, working class anxieties and dreams deferred. It's also one of those rare literary books you can recommend when someone says, "I just want something with a happy ending."