Bobbie Ann Mason’s straightforward, observant writing about the plain folks of rural Kentucky has generated comparisons to Raymond Carver. Like Carver, her characters are everyday non-heroes, such as a Vietnam veteran suffering from Agent Orange-related problems (In Country) and a truck driver with a road-related leg injury (Shiloh and Other Stories). Clearly, she’s got a tender spot for guys who’ve been dealt a raw deal in life: Atomic Romance, her first novel in ten years, follows a third-generation worker at a uranium-enrichment plant who comes to realize the company that he’s devoted his life to (and lost his father to, in a plant disaster) may not have his best interests at heart. But Mason does; she’s set him up with a swell girlfriend and enough smarts to concoct an inspired way out. 3225 W. 69th St., Edina; 952-920-0633; www.bn.com
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