A Clean Slate

Starred review from October 15, 2003
Caldwell's follow-up to " Burning the Map" [BKL N 15 02] introduces Kelly McGraw, who discovers that she has inexplicably forgotten five months of her life, during which her boyfriend dumped her and she was fired from her job. Something else happened, too, something that sent Kelly spiraling into depression, but she told none of her friends, so no one can fill her in. Kelly looks at the memory loss as a chance to start over and gets herself a new job working as a photographer's assistant to the mercurial Cole, who is trying to break back into the industry after a fall from grace. At first Cole is difficult, and Kelly fears she is wasting her time, but then he softens and gives her a chance to shoot some pictures herself. As Kelly grows comfortable in her new life, flashes of the forgotten five months haunt her, and she fears that if her memories return, they could derail her newfound happiness. Weightier than the usual fare, Caldwell's winning second novel puts an appealing heroine in a tough situation and relays her struggles with empathy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)