the best fiction of 2005

The March
by E. L. Doctorow
A moving account of General Sherman’s Civil War campaign.

Zorro
by Isabel Allende
A wonderful story that includes the origins of Zorro, as described by someone who knew him well.

The Painted Drum
by Louise Erdrich
Another of the bestselling author’s novels set on a North Dakota Ojibwe reservation.

Lost in the Forest
by Sue Miller
Mentioned by many reviewers as very well written, the book chronicles the daily life of a grieving family.

Saving Fish from Drowning
by Amy Tan
Twelve American tourists find themselves in a cultural collision in Myanmar (Burma).