The Second Life of Samuel Tyne.

The Second Life of Samuel Tyne by Esi Edugyan Amistad, August 2004 $24.95, ISBN 0-060-73603-8

Born in Ghana, educated in England, and immigrated to Canada, Samuel Tyne showed great promise and much was expected of him. As the novel opens, however, it is 1968, Samuel is 40 years old and disappointed with his life and his inconsequential government job. He is married to Maud, also from Ghana, and their marriage is cold and somewhat mean-spirited.

They have troubled twin daughters almost 13 years old. The opportunity to pursue dreams and live up to others' expectations arises when his Uncle Jacob dies, bequeathing to him an old house in Aster, a formerly all black hamlet in Alberta, Canada. Drawn to Aster's history, Samuel quits his job, and stands up to his wife, announcing that the family will be moving to Aster.

Although this store is told mainly through Samuel's voice, using shifting perspectives, Edugyan allows readers to glimpse into the thoughts of some of the other characters. In this brilliantly written debut novel, Edugyan flawlessly creates and maintains a pervasive sense of hope, loneliness, despair, foreboding and futility. She unrelentingly pulls readers into the struggles, hopes, dreams, reality and psychological dynamics of a dangerously flawed family.

Reviewed by Mary N. Oluonye Mary N. Oluonye is a writer in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a library associate at the Shaker Heights Public Library.