A Floating Phrase" by Trent Portigal is a deftly crafted novel that explores the nature of art, fear and snow puddles through the experiences of Cesarine, a stop-motion animator caught up in the intrigues of international diplomacy in 1970s continental Europe. At that time, national delegations for international conferences on European issues, such as those leading up to the Helsinki Accords, typically included defectors from the other side of the Iron Curtain. This led to scientists and artists with little experience in diplomacy being involved in high-level politics. A consistently compelling and fully engaging read from beginning to end, "A Floating Phrase" is especially recommended for community and academic library Literary Fiction collections. Of special note for personal reading lists is that "A Floating Phrase" is also available in a Kindle format ($6.15). ~ , midwest book review