Hello. I'm Catherine Weller and this is the Open Book.

This week's selection is The Traveling Death and Resurrection Show by Ariel Gore.

Ariel Gore has spent her writing life describing the myriad family configurations in modern America. She did so first with "Hip Mama," her zine for edgier, non-traditional mothers. That was followed by numerous articles and anthologies, as well as the books Hip Mama and Whatever Mom.

Gore's first novel, The Traveling Death and Resurrection Show, gives us another family of sorts, a performance art troupe. This motley crew consists of a levitating transvestite, an aerial artist, a fortune teller, and the book's narrator, Frankka, who can produce stigmata on her palms when hungry. There are other musicians and actors of course, but you get the idea: this is a diverse group. They tour the states performing as "The Traveling Death and Resurrection Show." The decidedly spiritual theme is as individualist and eclectic as the troupe itself: some Catholica, a little bit of shamanism, and some generic new age love and pantheism thrown in for good measure.

The novel takes place over seven years. During that time the troupe grows in popularity from a group that nearly fills small theaters to the subject of a Los Angeles Times article. One result of their newfound fame is that protestors begin to picket their events. Another is that they sell out much larger venues. The outside pressures that accompany such fame take their toll on the troupe cum extended family and they are torn apart.

Stigmatic Frankka, born Frances Catherine, guides us through the troupe's death and resurrection, as well as her own. As i'm sure you've guessed, they are not unrelated. Orphaned at an early age and raised by an old world catholic grandma, Frankka is well acquainted with how alien one's faith can make one seem to the rest of the world. She makes her own trek through a spiritual desert. Armed with the stories of saints that she memorized as a lonely child and assisted by the kindness of strangers. When she emerges, The Traveling Death and Sesurrection Show finds itself facing new challenges, but armed with a new faith and stronger than ever.

At times Gore's writing seems flat and curiously uninspired, odd for a tale about unusual people and their non-traditional faith. I also have a minor gripe concerning her use of hyphens to intensify adjectives by creating compound words. Despite that, the book's overall tone, quirky details and rollicking plot do keep one reading with pleasure. This is a great book for summertime escapism.

You've been listening to the open book on KCPW. I'm Catherine Weller.

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