Incendiary.

INCENDIARY. Chris Cleave. 2005. Read by Susan Lyons. 7 cds. 8,25 hrs. Recorded Books. 1-4193-5657-7 $74.75. Vinyl; plot notes. A

Cleave's debut novel, a serious literary attempt to come to terms with the psychological effects of September 11, delivers all the relentless force of a dirty

bomb. Indeed, it hit the stands on the very day of the London suicide bombings, an occasion it ironically predicted. From its opening words, "Dear Osama," to its cataclysmic, surreal conclusion, listeners find themselves immersed in a gut-wrenching world torn by anxiety and hate, not so very different from our own, a world whose ubiquitous terrors impinge upon even the best of our moments, distorting our realities along with our essential humanity. Lyons does an extraordinary job dramatizing and enabling us to identify with the appealing working-class narrator/housewife whose husband and four-year-old son are killed in a terrorist attack at a crowded London football (soccer) stadium. Armed with forthrightness, a large heart, and plenty of savvy and wit, the protagonist has what it takes to adapt, though the carnage and betrayal everywhere around her deny her an opportunity to heal. Riveting, unsparing, and chilling; graphic descriptive passages. Francine Levitov, Attorney, New York, NY