THE CHEMISTRY OF TEARS

In this dual narrative, Susan Lyons and Jefferson Mays bring equal parts pragmatism and emotional complexity to the stories of Catherine Gehrig, a twenty-first-century horologist (timepiece expert) and Henry Brandling, a nineteenth-century father who is hoping to cheer his ailing son by commissioning an automaton. With quiet intensity Lyons captures Catherine’s life-shattering grief over the sudden death of her longtime married lover. Given the task of assembling Brandling’s mechanical duck, Catherine grows obsessed with the man’s diaries. Mays brings credible desperation to Brandling, who has already lost one child to illness. Secondary characters are completely plausible, occasionally ominous, and absolutely fascinating. Peter Carey’s novel goes beyond exploring the nature of love and grief, offering a scathing commentary on our reliance on technology to solve all problems. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2012]