Clarence, MN: Mansfield University

Us Weekly Jan. 7-14

Best of the Week

Anne Ursu's first novel revolves around a wonderfully original premise: What if the vaults of memory were suddenly opened, and people could recall everything that had ever happened to them? In the fictional town of Clarence, Minnesota – an altogether bland and ordinary place – a fire at a pharmaceutical factory releases a chemical into the air that triggers powerful memories in all the inhabitants. A kind of mass melancholy settles over the community as people tumble back in time and recollect long-buried episodes from their lives: A man remembers every nuance of the wife he adored and lost in a car accident; a World War II veteran relieves a traumatic combat experience. Even the animals of Clarence become unglued. Gradually, though, the pain of these suppressed memories gives way to something transcendent as the townspeople begin to share their experiences with one another. Evoking the work of Anne Tyler and Alice Hoffman, this whimsical, bittersweet debut suggests that the stories of our lives are what save us.

	US Weekly "Best of the Week" "This whimsical, bittersweet debut suggests that the stories of our lives are what save us." The Barnes & Noble Review from Discover Great New Writers "a thought-provoking and timely tale, liberally seasoned with charm and good humor. (Winter 2002 Selection)" The Philadelphia Inqirer "No scalpel can touch the truths Ursu locates" USA Today "Reading their stories is better than eavesdropping on a patient's tale to his analyst." New Orleans Times-Picayune "Ursu does a wonderful job in this imaginative and charming novel." The Library Journal "Ursu is a writer who cares deeply about her characters" Bookreporter.com "this book leaves you chuckling, grinning, tearful, thoughtful, warmed, chilled and, not surprisingly, reminiscent... a brilliant first novel." TheBookHaven.net "an impressive first novel. Anne Ursu has a gift for telling tales. Hopefully, this talent will be utilized for many novels to come." MostlyFiction.com "...the success of the book is not only the stories that she finds to tell but also the way she writes about them." StoryCircle.org "Like many good writers, Ursu draws us into her setting - the fictional town of Clarence, Minnesota - by getting the details just right."
		CLARENCE, MINNESOTA Us Weekly Jan. 7-14 Best of the Week Anne Ursu's first novel revolves around a wonderfully original premise: What if the vaults of memory were suddenly opened, and people could recall everything that had ever happened to them? In the fictional town of Clarence, Minnesota – an altogether bland and ordinary place – a fire at a pharmaceutical factory releases a chemical into the air that triggers powerful memories in all the inhabitants. A kind of mass melancholy settles over the community as people tumble back in time and recollect long-buried episodes from their lives: A man remembers every nuance of the wife he adored and lost in a car accident; a World War II veteran relieves a traumatic combat experience. Even the animals of Clarence become unglued. Gradually, though, the pain of these suppressed memories gives way to something transcendent as the townspeople begin to share their experiences with one another. Evoking the work of Anne Tyler and Alice Hoffman, this whimsical, bittersweet debut suggests that the stories of our lives are what save us.