Reader's Choice

Wobegon Boy by Garrison Keillor (Faber & Faber, £16.99 in the UK) is not really a return to the small town of Lake Wobegon which served as the backdrop to the short stories which formed Keillor's reputation as a wry and witty humourist. The Wobegon Boy in question, John Tollefson, should be anything but woebegone. Having put some distance between himself and his hometown, his is a life of contentment and neutrality. However, he feels that he lacks a raison d'etre and so embarks on a course of action, both financial and romantic, which he hopes will remedy his torpor and imbue his existence with a struggle of which he can be proud.