Dear Great Book Guru,  I attended a very moving Veterans' Day celebration at the Sea Cliff Fire House this week.  The Brengel family, who had lost both a father and son in two long ago wars, was honored with a plaque in the garden outside the firehouse. Mayor Kennedy spoke as did our new Congressman Steve Israel  and Phil Como,  organizer of the event .  After the storm travails of the last few weeks, it was great to gather together on a warm sunny day to honor our past losses and rejoice in our present good fortune. While there I heard someone mention a book set in northern California about two families dealing with issues of parenting, job loss, friendship, and nostalgia. Does the book sound familiar?             Book Seeker

Dear Book Seeker,  The  Brengel dedication was very touching, indeed and I too overheard that conversation. The book is Michael Chabon's TELEGRAPH AVENUE.  Chabon and his wife Aylett Waldman are favorite authors of mine. This novel takes place in 2004 but it is an homage to an earlier time- the 1960's.  Archy Stallings and Nat Jaffe are partners in a viny record store; their shared love of the "60's-its music, movies, clothes, celebrities- gives focus to their lives. There are many concentric subplots- their wives who are partners in an upscale midwifery practice face a racist hospital board, their sons are mirror images of each other, both with  adolescent identity angst, and their  elderly parents are colorful artifacts of Oakland and Berkeley's   uneasy  shared history.  Chabon's love of the 1960's is evident throughout the novel and certainly gives the reader an appreciation for a fading moment of our history. Recommended!