, by Ronald Richard Roberts (Plume, $7). While touring in his van, which he calls Van, and photographing the legendary ditches of Edison County, Idaho, Ronald Concave meets Pancetta, a beautiful farm wife. "Her name meant 'bacon'--Italian bacon to be exact--and she had been named accurately. There was a rugged smoky flavor to Pancetta's character, she was a good breakfast companion and she was not entirely bereft of grease. The nitrates part didn't quite make sense, however." The moment she sees him, Pancetta knows that Ronald is special. "As Concave walked toward her, she couldn't help but notice that his legs alternated--left, right, left, right. It was as though he was letting them take turns. She could tell by this that Ronald Concave was a fair and generous man. Indeed, if his legs were children, neither would have felt neglected or abused when he walked." The result of the inevitable union: Spiritual doors were opened of which neither Ronald or Pancetta had ever been aware. [From the NYT, Nov 1993] --------------------------------------------------------------------------