Cork-born master storyteller William Trevor returns to the novel form with his powerful new book "The Story of Lucy Gault." This is an at-times harrowing, though always understated work. In fact, it could be said that things move a bit too slowly, despite the novel's extraordinary plot twist. Still, the book has rightly earned raves across the Atlantic, where it was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize. "The Story of Lucy Gault" begins with an Anglo-Irish couple who have been targeted by Catholic agitators during the Irish Civil War of the 1920s. When the husband accidentally shoots a rebel, the couple - whose daughter is the title character - realize they must flee Ireland, or else they will be targeted for revenge. A stunning set of events, however, finds young Lucy Gault left behind by her loving parents. Trevor then charts Lucy's coming of age, and her parents' sad wandering in Europe. Overall, this is yet another gem from Trevor, with tender insight not only into the Irish troubles of the early 20th century, but human beings who are victims of an unfortunate fate. ($24.95 / 228 pages / Viking)