Mary Ann in Autumn

This eighth installment of Maupin's "Tales of the City" series focuses on Mary Ann Singleton's return to San Francisco to recuperate from surgery and a wounded heart. Mary Ann finds refuge with her old friend Michael "Mouse" Tolliver while she comes to terms with her past actions and future hopes. Her arrival affects several others, including Michael's husband, Ben; transgendered assistant, Jake; Mary Ann's daughter, Shawna; and, of course, former landlady Anna Madrigal. Maupin interweaves chapters from the viewpoints of several characters, which adds to the atmosphere, as does his affectionate portrait of San Francisco. Like the recent Michael Tolliver Lives, this novel shows the beloved characters of Barbary Lane approaching middle age and beyond with grace and thoughtfulness. As always, the interconnectedness of the individuals is made explicit, if a tad coincidental in one case, but the charm of the Tales has not waned.