The dysfunctional family is a familiar theme in literature these days, and Sarah Sheard's new novel The Swing Era (Knopf) is an exception only in that it is so good. It's the story of a young woman who returns home from abroad following her mad mother's death, the weight of memory heavy on her shoulders; the experience reunites her with her estranged father and awakens remembrances of neglect and even self-mutilation. Pretty risk stuff, but the author's deft prose, infused with a quiet intensity, makes it a powerful read.