London, winner of the Age Book of the Year Award for Gilgamesh, tells the story of a family history repeating itself and being redeemed. Maya, a young woman fresh from Australia's outback, leaves with her boss for Thailand after his wife's funeral, although her parents, Jacob and Toni, are on their way to see her. When Jacob and Toni arrive, they are devastated by Maya's disappearance, which sets them to thinking about the patterns of their own youth--for Toni, of her marriage to a controlling mobster and for Jacob, of falling in love with a young woman who died in an accident. They do their best to track down Maya and wait for her to return, to herself and to them. The story frequently changes time and perspective, weaving together patterns between characters and eras. London's narrative is deft, transcending a typical family saga and poignantly illuminating not only the harsh truths but also the gentle nobility of her characters' lives. Absorbing and suspenseful; recommended for medium to large libraries.--Amy Ford, St. Mary's Cty. Lib., Lexington Park, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

London (Gilgamesh) delivers an excellent family drama rooted in rural Australian lives. The novel opens with a lengthy glimpse into the life of 20-year-old Maya de Jong, who has recently left her small hometown for a new job (and subsequently an affair with the new boss) in Melbourne. As early as the second chapter, however, it's clear that the narrative interest lies with Maya's parents, Toni and Jacob, who arrive for an extended vacation to discover Maya's gone missing. Maya's puzzling, abrupt absence--which will leave readers perplexed nearly as long as the de Jongs are--leaves Toni and Jacob with little to do but wait for her to contact them; this period of enforced helplessness and isolation provides a metaphorical insight into the parents of adult children, who, as Jacob reflects, reveal their own self-doubts and self-awareness once their parental role is finished. The narrative shifts subtly among the past and present of a wide cast, each of whom has his or her own story of abandoning one life for another. This insightful novel illuminates with seeming ease the fraught relationships among friends, families and entire communities. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved