ALL OVER CREATION

After learning of her father’s imminent death, 39-year-old Yumi ”Yummy” Fuller reluctantly returns to the Idaho potato-farm home she ran away from 25 years earlier — with three kids, no husband, and loads of emotional baggage in tow. At its heart the story of a woman fumbling toward reconciliation, Creation shines brightest when mining the deep-seated intricacies of family life. Ozeki’s follow-up to 1998’s My Year of Meats sprawls over 400-plus pages, delving into subjects ranging from D.C. journos and genetic crop engineering to Internet porn and Bible Belt fundamentalism. The plot can be obvious at times, but Ozeki deftly and sensitively folds the variegated topics together, whipping up a savory treat.