A modern fable from the Nobel Prize-winning author, in which a cast of eccentric characters embark on a quest when the Iberian Peninsula becomes unmoored from France. The novel is an allegory, a politcal statement and a fine example of magical realism with compelling characters. Five strangers living on the new island (sailing at 18 kilimoters an hour for the Azores) must depend on each other for companionship and survival.  (PGL46, $14.00)