Many great authors contend for "voice of a generation" status, and
Jonathan Franzen often emerges as the frontrunner. After
The Corrections cemented his reputation as a capital-N Novelist, Franzen went on to write the exquisite
Freedom (lauded by everyone from President Obama to Oprah Winfrey). Now, Franzen returns to St. Louis (he grew up in Webster Groves) to give a reading from the brand-new
Purity, a multigenerational, multi-continental epic that centers on a young woman's quest to determine the identity of her birth father. Early reviews indicate preservation of Franzen's literary-lion status. Franzen reads from and signs copies of
Purity at 7 p.m. tonight at the Ethical Society of St. Louis (9001 Clayton Road, Ladue; 314-367-6731 or
www.left-bank.com). Admission is $31 and includes a copy of the book.