The Phillips 66 and Marathon Petroleum are permanently converting their East Bay refineries to produce renewable, bio-based diesel fuel from plant-based materials.
OFF RADAR: ‘The Oracle Pool’ by Agnes Bushell
Another thoughtful, warmly human book, characterized by exceptionally lucid prose, by one of Maine’s best fiction writers
By Dana Wilde
“The Oracle Pool” by Agnes Bushell; Littoral Books, Portland, Maine, 2020; 238 pages, trade paperback, $20
In Agnes Bushell’s new novel, “The Oracle Pool,” the main character is missing for most of the book.
At the outset, Ruth is with a tour group investigating archaeological sites in Turkey. The participants divide out into, roughly, two groups: graduate students acquiring firsthand knowledge, and mostly older tourists interested in ancient ruins. Ruth is aligned by age and motivation with the grad students. But we learn pretty quickly that she is somewhat aloof from everybody, has difficulties having fun, and is generally a somewhat insecure, over-thoughtful, unhappy person who knows it.