David Rakoff, essayist, journalist, and frequent NPR contributor, died of cancer this past August at the age of forty-seven. But he was able to complete this extraordinary novel, Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish (Doubleday, $26.95)—and this isn’t just a run-of the-mill narrative, it’s a series of interconnected stories written entirely in verse. This may sound gimmicky, but Rakoff is brilliant with rhymes, using their echoes and rhythms to enhance his interesting and emotionally complex stories. You might think this accomplished writer of prose would have to go through awkward literary gymnastics to make the lines rhyme and keep the stories moving, but Rakoff is such a solid, flexible writer, you’ll smile at how he makes it all work so beautifully. As the title suggests, the book is about love, exploring the way even small acts of kindness can transcend time. Short and economical with its words, the book asks to be read twice, once for the story and a second time for the language.