The Scent of Pine

In her newest novel, award-winning author Lara Vapnyar—"a talented writer, possessed of an ample humor and insight and a humane sensibility" (The New York Times Book Review)—tells a provocative tale of sexual awakening, youthful romanticism, and the relentless search for love."Don't say 'the rest of your life!' it fills me with such horror!"Though only thirty-eight, Lena finds herself in the grips of a midlife crisis. She feels lost in her adoptive country, her career is at a dead end, and her marriage has tumbled into a spiral of apathy and distrust—it seems impossible she will ever find happiness again. But then she strikes up a precarious friendship with Ben, a failed artist turned reluctant academic, who is just as lost as she is. They soon surprise themselves by embarking on an impulsive weekend adventure, uncharacteristically leaving their middle-aged responsibilities behind. On the way to Ben's remote cabin in Maine,...