NINETEEN MINUTES

Published on December 10, 2007

Jodi Picoult has once again done a fine job probing the layers of small-town America and coming up with reasons why things turn out the way they do. She bases this story on the hot-button issue of problems faced by people who are "different", on how cruel young people can be to each other, on how some fight back against victimisation and how others are often left facing the consequences.

The reader comes to understand how "nineteen minutes", a mere blip in time, can change so much. The very 19 minutes that it takes to "mow the front lawn, colour your hair, watch a third of a hockey game… bake scones" can also change the present and the future forever.

Picoult also reveals that very human foible of having to "concentrate on what everyone else thinks of you…", of that need to hide yourself behind a mask just so you can successfully interact with fellow humans. Of how one single act can make a "part of our past and our future disappear in tragedy". Of how each of us needs to stand up and convey compassion at its strongest.

In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old Peter Houghton has been suffering years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of his fellow students. Even his best friend Josie Cormier can't bear to be seen in his company, succumbing to peer pressure and her desperate need to be part of the "in" crowd. Eventually, however, the tables are turned. A day dawns when the bullying and harassment hits such a peak that Houghton is pushed over the edge, reacting with a violence that changes life in the small town of Sterling forever.

His parents, Lewis and Lacy, are left wondering where they went wrong. Josie's mother, Alex, a superior-court judge, asks herself whether she should preside over the case, or if doing so would widen the chasm between her and her daughter even further. Then there's the emotionally fraught Josie, who apparently doesn't remember what happened in the last few minutes of the young man's gun rampage. Or does she?

Meanwhile, "the media - at first a wave as unwelcome as a tsunami" become a fixture on the streets of Sterling. Every day in the town, there's a different funeral and people deal with their grief by striking out at Houghton's parents, at his lawyer, at anyone who shows even the slightest sympathy towards the young man.

Picoult has come up with a riveting tale that explores the depths of society as we know it to reveal the psychosis of modern mankind. It asks that haunting question each and every one of us faces daily - do we really know the person sitting next to us while we innocently play the game of friendship?

It's strange to this reviewer that an author like Jodi Picoult has been lumped in with other producers of formulaic chick-lit when time and time again she's shown a level of profundity that leaves shopping and romance sagas in the shallows.

Comfort Food

By Betty Crocker

Published by Wiley Publishing Inc

Available at http://as.wiley.com/, $14.95 (Bt450)

We all need something to munch away the latest heartbreak, get a quick fix when watching television, or provide a tasty way to while away a lazy, rainy afternoon. And Betty Crocker, the doyenne of comfort from the kitchen, has come up with the perfect recipes to do just that.

With this book by the stove, you can conjure up anything from easy cream drop biscuits to Belgian waffles with berry cream, from Mexican classics like red beans and rice, and cheese enchiladas, to Italian basics like lasagna and pasta. Then there are the options for sweet-tasting relief ranging from simple vanilla pudding to chocolate pecan pie. She even gives the simplest toasted cheese sandwich a gourmet touch with tomato and avocado.

Unfortunately, even though the instructions are easy to follow, Bangkok residents might still find it difficult to recreate many of the dishes - not all the ingredients are readily available in supermarkets here and she doesn't offer replacement ideas. The other problem with the book is that most of the recipes need to be cooked in an oven - an appliance that isn't necessarily deemed vital in many kitchens in this country.

As for people watching their waistlines, there's not much in the way of edible comfort since most recipes soar well above the 300-calorie mark.

Guess we all have to accept the fact that consolation doesn't come easy or cheap and that most delicious treats are usually fattening.