By Andrew O'Hehir
Amid the media fizz, the novel of the year is a brilliant but strangely old-fashioned story of an intensely real family facing the perils of life in America.
Recipient's e-mail address:Separate up to 10 e-mail addresses with commas.
Personal message (optional):A link to the article will be included in your message.
Your e-mail address:We do not save or reuse your email address unless you sign up for the newsletter.
Sign me up for the Salon Daily Newsletter
Get Salon in your mailbox!