It is rare in
contemporary literature to read a book in which the characters are
naturally allowed to make the decisions that propel the plot
forward. So often the people in novels are at the mercy of the
story --- mere puppets of clever plot twists or of writers who want
to showcase their ability to wring every possible bit of suspense
from a situation. Andre Dubus's second novel, HOUSE OF SAND AND
FOG, is a throwback to a time when writing was more important than
plot, and the characters mattered more than the cunning of the
author who created them. It is a masterpiece in the dying art of
character development.

Dubus takes his time introducing us to these flawed, human
characters. He brings them into sharp focus with astonishing depth
and perception, revealing them as the story unfolds. We first meet
Massoud Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian Air Force, who has
fled his native land. Unable to find an adequate job in the States,
Behrani jumps on the economic opportunity that is presented when he
discovers a house up for sale at a sheriff's auction. His plan is
to live in the house only long enough to sell it at a high profit.
A reserved and dignified man, his fatal flaw is his high need for
respectability and his inability to see beyond what he thinks he
deserves.

Next we're introduced to Kathy Nicolo, a recovering alcoholic and
drug addict. Living under the fog of depression after her husband
leaves her, she is merely going through the motions. When she is
sent a tax bill by the county, she virtually ignores it, knowing
that it has been sent in error. Eventually she is evicted from her
house, which is sold at auction almost before she has a chance to
take action. Her inability to make good choices for herself proves
her undoing.

Finally, Lester Burdon enters the picture. Hotheaded and no longer
able to keep himself above the law he represents, Lester is one of
the sheriff's deputies who helps evict Kathy, and he soon starts an
affair with her. He takes on Kathy's cause, determined to reclaim
her home, trying to ransom his failing moral compass. It is his
macho posturing and stubbornness that soon have all three
characters spiraling downward toward the book's inevitable and
shattering conclusion.

Dubus gives us the house as a symbol of the American Dream, a
refuge in a tumultuous life, a quest for redemption. He chronicles
the clash of cultures between the Americans and the Iranians while
keeping the humanity of everyone involved at the forefront. We
might not always like these characters, but we care about them
deeply and want everything to run smoothly for them. It is a
testament to Dubus's style that he allows them sometimes to
stumble.