Zazen

March 28, 2011
The deeply disaffected young woman narrator of Veselka's taut debut must decide whether to flee a dystopian America or try to endure it, and, in the process maybe help save it a little. Della is a waitress with an obsessive interest in self-immolation, a sharp wit, and a dwindling hope in humanity. When a bomb goes off in an office building in her faceless industrial city's downtown, Della finds that the distant wars the country's been fighting are coming closer to home. At first she considers leaving like many others, but then the chaos becomes attractive to Della and she calls in a series of phony bomb threats around town, taking big delight in watching people scramble from, for instance, a mall-church complex. But when someone starts setting off bombs at places from her list of "targets," Della realizes that she might be part of something bigger than her own absurd protest. Veselka's prose is chiseled and laced with arsenic observations, and though she unleashes some savage social satire, her focus is more on the hypocrisy, heartache, and confusion that drive Della and those around her. But don't be distracted by the chaos and disorder: Veselka makes a case for hope and meaning amid sheer madness.

June 1, 2011

In her debut novel, Veselka introduces Della, a lost soul disillusioned by society and caught in a state of despair. Della yearns for security and beauty but is consumed by fear of an impending war and feelings of powerlessness. Unable to fulfill her desire to create a brilliant insurgency, she challenges the status quo only to add to the chaos. Using solid prose complemented by subtle lyricism and allusion, as well as wry observations about such cultural constructs as consumerism, organized religion, and economic development, Veselka examines the choices individuals make when they feel consumed with helplessness. Throughout, readers will find insight into the human condition, where the goal of "zazen," the Zen Buddhist practice of seeking a place of peace and refuge through meditation, may prove illusive. VERDICT Readers will be delighted by Veselka's wit and social commentary and engaged by Della's personal journey. Recommended for anyone interested in a perceptive analysis of modern society and the evolution of the human character.--Catherine Tingelstad, Pitt Community Coll. Lib., Greenville, NC

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