The Fifth Book Of Peace (2003)

In 1991, Kingston's home was destroyed by sweeping fires in California's Oakland-Berkeley Hills; the ''Woman Warrior'' author lost most of her possessions, including the manuscript of the novel she was working on, entitled ''The Fourth Book of Peace'' (in the tradition of the three ancient -- and also lost -- Chinese books of peace). Kingston rebuilds from the rubble, dividing this book into sections of nonfiction (a powerful account of the fire and of her efforts to gather war veterans in a literary community) and a retelling of the lost novel. ''Peace'' is thoughtful and passionate, but ultimately the gamble of mixed modes of storytelling doesn't pay off.