<![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]>

false 5206 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165518261m/5206.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165518261s/5206.jpg Oprah Book Club® Selection, November 2000: Andre Dubus III wastes no time in capturing the dark side of the immigrant experience in America at the end of the 20th century. House of Sand and Fog opens with a highway crew composed of several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the U.S. four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing." The father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, and on impulse he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.

Dubus tells his tragic tale from the viewpoints of the two main adversaries, Behrani and Kathy. To both of them, the house represents something more than just a place to live. For the colonel, it is a foot in the door of the American dream; for Kathy, a reminder of a kinder, gentler past. In prose that is simple yet evocative, House of Sand and Fog builds to its inevitable denouement, one that is painfully dark but unfailingly honest. --Alix Wilber

]]> 359770 22 932849 1999 House of Sand and Fog total:11855|5:2389|4:4305|3:3220|2:1269|1:672| 11855 42035 14659 1305 9785 3.53 13050 1696 13589873 350214 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 10376 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 1 6 false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 25 21:24:02 -0800 2008 Thu Feb 21 11:40:30 -0800 2008 more...]]> 1507365 103544 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 4 4 false Mon Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Tue May 29 01:02:19 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 20:16:55 -0800 2009
Slow start. Th...more...]]> 813595 6049 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 5 4 false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Apr 20 14:00:51 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 18:15:26 -0800 2009 more...]]> 36839981 128745 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 3 3 false Mon Nov 03 13:11:46 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 07 12:54:58 -0800 2009 more...]]> 29512508 1293163 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 2 2 false Thu Aug 07 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 07 08:39:08 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 07 16:34:12 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1670943 115473 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 4 2 false Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Tue Jun 05 05:44:30 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 05 05:44:47 -0700 2007 more...]]> 18178278 1002736 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 1 3 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Thu Mar 20 08:10:15 -0700 2008 Thu Mar 20 08:38:12 -0700 2008
To tor...more...]]> 1914237 128957 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 5 2 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Wed Jun 13 05:25:51 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 16 21:24:43 -0800 2009 more...]]> 48610809 1012486 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 0 1 false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Mar 08 12:32:36 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 08 12:44:45 -0700 2009 more...]]> 24347116 1223442 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 5 1 true Mon Aug 04 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 12 13:34:19 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 05 05:25:47 -0700 2008
Actually, it's much more than that, and I thought the house served as a symbol for each person involved. Thi...more...]]> 24337272 1234669 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 3 1 false Thu Jun 19 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 12 11:49:46 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 19 12:48:15 -0700 2008 more...]]> 18931157 695765 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 2 1 false Fri Mar 21 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Mar 29 12:42:11 -0700 2008 Sat Mar 29 12:55:21 -0700 2008 more...]]> 14961821 786079 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 4 1 false Sun Jun 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Feb 08 21:49:02 -0800 2008 Sun Jun 15 15:01:14 -0700 2008 more...]]> 9835877 568711 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 5 1 false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Dec 02 08:12:45 -0800 2007 Sun Dec 02 08:32:15 -0800 2007 more...]]> 3780611 97678 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 2 1 false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 30 05:40:37 -0700 2007 Wed Aug 08 20:15:47 -0700 2007 more...]]> 8241555 86830 15816 0375708413 9780375708411 26 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15816.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.51 182 House of Sand and Fog opens with a highway crew composed of several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the U.S. four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing." The father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, and on impulse he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.

]]> 1999 4 1 false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Oct 25 13:20:35 -0700 2007 Fri Nov 09 08:53:18 -0800 2007 more...]]> 9796995 140443 359770 0375727345 9780375727344 1158 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027m/359770.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174082027s/359770.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/359770.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.55 11855 Washington Post Book World

In this riveting novel of almost unbearable suspense, three fragile yet determined people become dangerously entangled in a relentlessly escalating crisis. Colonel Behrani, once a wealthy man in Iran, is now a struggling immigrant willing to bet everything he has to restore his family's dignity. Kathy Niccolo is a recovering alcoholic and addict whose house is all she has left, and who refuses to let her hard-won stability slip away from her. Sheriff Lester Burdon, a married man who finds himself falling in love with Kathy, becomes obsessed with helping her fight for justice.

Drawn by their competing desires to the same small house in the California hills--and what it represents to each of them--and doomed by their tragic inability to understand one another, the three converge on an explosive collision course. Combining unadorned realism with profound empathy, House of Sand and Fog is a devastating exploration of the American Dream gone awry.]]> 1999 3 1 false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Dec 01 05:55:41 -0800 2007 Mon Dec 10 10:41:28 -0800 2007

This book started off with so much promise! Excellent characters, a wonderful premise, and great potential to really come to a memorable climax. It started out as a real five-star book. Excellent writing, great descriptions, wonderful s...more...]]> 36076397 934695 15817 0788759892 9780788759895 4 <![CDATA[The House of Sand and Fog [Unabridged] [Audiobook]]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15817.The_House_of_Sand_and_Fog_Unabridged_Audiobook_ 3.88 8 1999 4 1 false Thu Oct 23 21:15:19 -0700 2008 Thu Oct 23 21:27:39 -0700 2008
My thought through this book was that Kathy was responsible for most of the problems in this story. She was the one who ignored the tax notices (having answered them would have fixed the clerical...more...]]> 2976795 184384 832091 009928314X 9780099283140 10 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178749692m/832091.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178749692s/832091.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/832091.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.65 113 Oprah Book Club® Selection, November 2000: Andre Dubus III wastes no time in capturing the dark side of the immigrant experience in America at the end of the 20th century. House of Sand and Fog opens with a highway crew composed of several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the U.S. four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing." The father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, and on impulse he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.

]]> 1999 2 1 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Thu Jul 12 07:17:53 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 12 07:21:59 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4240082 36848 5206 0099453924 9780099453925 53 <![CDATA[House of Sand and Fog]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165518261m/5206.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165518261s/5206.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5206.House_of_Sand_and_Fog 3.54 728 Oprah Book Club® Selection, November 2000: Andre Dubus III wastes no time in capturing the dark side of the immigrant experience in America at the end of the 20th century. House of Sand and Fog opens with a highway crew composed of several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the U.S. four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing." The father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, and on impulse he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.

]]> 1999 1 1 false Tue Aug 07 20:45:29 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 07 20:48:29 -0700 2007 more...]]> 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=5206