Wray, John. Canaan's tongue, a novel.

WRAY, John. Canaan's tongue, a novel. Random House, Vintage Books. 341p. c2005. 14000-3381-0. $14.95 A

Wray's second novel (following The Right Hand of Sleep) opens on a desolate Southern plantation in 1863, a wasteland of wartorn, darkly religious individuals who engage in the "Trade," the famed rebel slave business along the Mississippi. Led by Thadeus Morelle, their "Redeemer," they convince trusting slaves to run away from their masters only to murder them and collect the bounty on the escapees. Then one of the Trade members is found murdered. Throughout the novel, we are closest to Virgil Ball, a man deemed capable of seeing the future through his one blind eye. Virgil both detests his involvement in the Trade and is intoxicated by the way its vice-grip on his life has made him believe wholeheartedly in the Redeemer's mission.

Both the subject matter and Wray's writing style are quite advanced. I needed a dictionary by my side, but the descriptions carve vivid scenes that reek of all the dirtiest sights and smells of the era. Each character in turn narrates his or her take on the Trade; the story is often grotesquely violent, including rape scenes, and Wray never shies away from candidly portraying the starkest racism. Because of its historical setting and its enticing crime-story plot, Canaan's Tongue could work well in an advanced American history or literature course. Wray's use of multiple narrators lends much humanity and closeness to a time period that sometimes seems impossibly distant to today's students. His language and descriptive abilities are quite brilliant. Avi Kramer, Teaching Intern, The Fessenden School, W. Newton, MA S8885S885

A--Recommend for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.