Eugene Miles is either 105 or more than a thousand years old. In Again and Again, his eighth novel, Jonathan Evison (Small World; Lawn Boy) presents another endearing protagonist. Whether "Geno" is a fabulous storyteller or a time-traveling wanderer, his story is a life-affirming saga of hope and the enduring power of love.
Ensconced in Desert Greens, a California eldercare facility, as a "certifiable recluse," grumpy Geno's "lone aspiration now is to ride this life out." When Angel, a 24-year-old health-care aide, asks to hear his stories, he shares his previous existences--there are several, including one as "Whiskers," Oscar Wilde's cat--in elaborate, historic detail. Angel's sincere attention awakens Geno's narrative skills. He regales the young man with tales, including one as Euric, a lowly Visigoth in Spain; there, in "one meaningful life," he met and lost his true love. He also tells Angel about his experiences as a World War II marine. Geno talks of dying: "But the fact is, I'm ready to die. There is nothing holding me here. I only hope that I am not born again, for I don't think I could endure another loveless existence." Angel entreats him: "Who else is gonna give me advice? And who else is gonna tell me stories this good?"
Like Angel, readers will embrace Geno's colorful quest to recapture true love and appreciate the tender friendship between the men. Stories provide hope, and in Evison's history-rich narrative, readers will find fabulous tales that send a message of love straight to their hearts. --Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.