Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

David Mitchell constructs narratives that intricately interlock and nest inside each other. It took me a few chapters to understand how beautifully this book is crafted. Each chapter is a short story describing a single month in the main character's life. Each chapter could stand alone as an independent story. But as the chapters build on each other, a larger story comes together in wonderfully cohesive and engaging way.

It is 1982, and thirteen year old Jason lives in a small town in England called Black Swan Green. He struggles with a stammering problem, navigates a complex social hierarchy, watches his parents' marriage fall apart, feels helpless as war breaks out in the Falkland Islands, develops a tentative friendship with an older woman who encourages his interest in writing, and finds his confidence. Jason's wry sense of humor makes the somber subject matter tolerable, and after the first few chapters, I could not put this book down.

Coming of age stories normally annoy me. The protagonists are often too whiny and self-absorbed to have an objective understanding of their lives. But Jason's angst is balanced by his curiosity and conscience. I like Jason; I believe him; I want to know what is going to happen to him next. And when he referred to "That ace song 'Olive's Salami' by Elvis Costello and The Attractions," I laughed so hard that I cried.

The Brentwood Library has three copies of Black Swan Green. Two are shelved in the Reading List section, and one is shelved in the Adult Fiction section.