THE COUNTRY LIFE

THE COUNTRY LIFE Rachel Cusk (Picador, $24) At 29, harried narrator Stella Benson abandons her job, her London flat, and her man to become an au pair at an idyllic Sussex estate. The Country Life traces Stella's excruciating first few days, as she discovers that her employers -- glamorous Pamela and Piers Madden and their teenage son Martin, who uses a wheelchair -- are not just erratic but possibly deranged. As Stella deals with hives, sunburn, and other country-life indignities, she also worries that her true identity -- and reasons for abandoning it -- will be revealed. Whitbread Prize winner Cusk weaves sneakily poignant insights into character, family, and friendship throughout this smart, charming, and often outright hilarious novel. A-