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Despite the restless shifts in tone, the style never feels disjointed, in large part due to Tiang’s tremendous, fine-drawn translation.

“So far we’ve been able to anticipate people’s needs and accommodate everything in advance,” said Branden McRill, the chief executive officer and founder of Fine-Drawn Hospitality, which owns and operates the Walnut Street Cafe.

It relies on musical phrasing, fine-drawn physical expression and the unique properties of dance to communicate the story and emotions with exceptional clarity.

“You’re looking better, old man,” she said to him, her head on one side, considering him, “you’ve lost that fine-drawn look, thank goodness. I suppose we’ve got you to thank for that?” nodding at me.

The fine-drawn quality of French’s characterizations is one measure of the novel’s above-average success as literary fiction, which is to say fiction that enriches our lives rather than just serving to pass the time on an airplane or in a doctor’s waiting room.