Pre-Owned Moonface: A True Romance (Paperback) 0061537314 9780061537318

Publishers Weekly,By the time she was in her early 30s, Balcita had an M.F.A., a husband named Charlie, a toddler daughter, and her third kidney transplant. Her debut is a wonderfully composed, moving tale of what it was like to discover at age 17 that renal disease is her lot in life-and to realize not once but thrice that there are people who love her so much they will offer her a kidney. It's not hard to see why Balcita would inspire such generosity; she's funny and smart and considerate. In fact, she rarely stops worrying about her donors: her brother, then boyfriend (now husband), and a friend. Are they in pain? Do they regret their decision? Does she deserve such a gift? Bits of her story first appeared in literary journals and in a 2006 New York Times "Modern Love" column, and it has grown into a creatively rendered homage to love in its many forms. Whether reflecting on her nomadic postcollege days or her emergency C-section, Balcita balances drama and comedy with finesse. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.