Avenue of Mysteries - John Irving

With Avenue of Mysteries (Simon & Schuster, $28) John Irving introduces brother and sister Diego and Lupe, denizens of the massive garbage dump in Oaxaca, Mexico. Each sibling is remarkable—Lupe can intuit people’s thoughts and Diego, though uneducated, reads everything he can lay his hands on. Their childhood is recalled by the adult Diego as he travels in the Philippines, trying to fulfill a dying wish from an acquaintance of his youth. Avenue of Mysteries contains all the things we love about Irving’s writing: masterful storytelling, unforgettable characters, and a renewed sense of magic in everyday events.