"The Invisible Wall"
By Harry Bernstein
Ballantine, $22.95
This is one of those rare but fascinating books — a debut novel by a 96-year-old Briton who immgrated to the United States with his family after World War I.
Harry Bernstein, who lives in Brick, N.J., started writing this book after his wife Ruby passed away.
"There are places that I have never forgotten," Harry Bernstein writes. "A little cobbled street in a smoky mill town in the North of England has haunted me for the greater part of my life. It was inevitable that I should write about it and the people who lived on both sides of its 'Invisible Wall."'
The wall divided the Jewish families from the Christian families — all working-class. Bernstein's father was a tailor who drank and gambled his money away. Harry's resilient mother survived on her dreams, especially for her kids and the hope that the family one day would live in America.
In many ways, this well-written, candid look at ordinary 20th century life is a touching tribute to the author's mother, the strongest figure in his life.
"Forensic Detective"
By Robert Mann and Miryam Ehrlich Williamson
Ballantine, $14.95 (paperback)
In this book, Robert Mann, a forensic anthropologist, describes his most remarkable cases. This is straight out of "CSI."
Mann discusses the process of identifying victims from the 9/11 attacks; the initial, unplanned killing that set up Jeffrey Dahmer's serial spree; the case of the Vietnam War's Unknown Soldier; the identification of dismembered bodies resulting from the Poughkeepsie serial killer.
The author also includes a number of color photos from his personal collection.
"The Wild Trees"
By Richard Preston
Random House, $25.95
This book, subtitled "A Story of Passion and Daring," focuses fully on the sequoias of northern California.
Although 96 percent of the ancient redwood forests have been destroyed — the "fragments" that remain are among the great wonders of the world, according to Richard Preston.
The biggest redwoods have trunks about 30 feet wide and rise up more than 35 stories in height, looking for all the world like cathedral structures in the air. In climbing these trees, Preston shows he is a master of the tree climber's art of "skywalking" and testifies to the importance of the forests, indeed the imperiled biosphere.
This is a series of adventure stories, told by a man knowledgeable about his subject and fiercely convinced that these trees must be protected.