Audrey Niffenegger weaves the mundane, the striking and the whimsical into plots that fuse romance with magic. Departing from the Odyssey-like story arc of her smash debut, The Time Traveler's Wife, the author's latest, Her Fearful Symmetry, is haunted by ethereal twin sisters, disembodied souls and the oppressive beauty of London's Highgate Cemetery. Niffenegger's novels aren't all shimmer and glow, though: Smart, weighty prose grounds Symmetry, and the book's complex psychological drama shadows its more fantastical elements. See the author at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library (4801 Main) at 6:30 p.m., where she'll talk about ghosts, her love of old books, and Victorian graves (or so we hope). Call 816-701-3407 to reserve a place at the free event.— Elke Mermis Wed., July 14, 6 p.m., 2010
