In Ruth Ozeki's "The Book and Form and Emptiness" (Viking, 560 pp., ★★★★ out of four, out Tuesday), 13-year-old Benny Oh hears voices. When a sparrow strikes a window in his classroom, the other ...

The story begins with the death of Kenji Oh, a tragicomic accident that leaves his widow, Annabelle, and their son, Benny, stunned. Kenji leaves behind him a trail of trauma, which manifests in ...