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A special 11-part weekly series, airing Fridays on Morning Edition, highlights the creation of the American musical traditions that give this country its own unique sound. Part III examines the influential connections between gospel music and country and bluegrass.

Liane Hansen speaks with Monique Truong, author of the novel The Book of Salt. (Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN: 0618304002) From a few lines in The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book, Truong reimagines the Vietnamese cook who was hired by the famous residents at 27 Rue de Fleurus. Binh, as he calls himself, is an exile from his homeland, where he was denounced because of a homosexual relationship and banished by his brutal father.

A group of Iraqis fires rocket-propelled grenades at a U.S. military convoy in Baghdad, killing one U.S. soldier and wounding six others. The attack comes a day after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned that the United States might need to deploy more troops to Iraq to counter a growing resistance movement. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten.

Alan Cheuse reviews The Pursuit of Alice Thrift by Elinor Lipman. It's a comic romance between a flat-footed female surgical intern and a street-wise candy salesman.

Another U.S. soldier is shot and killed in Baghdad. More than 30 American troops have died since major combat actions ended in May. Opposition to the U.S. presence appears to be more organized than before, and is fueled by media images of "aggressive" American troops. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and NPR's Guy Raz.

The Bush administration has asked dozens of countries to contribute troops to help stabilize Iraq. Some countries, such as France and India, say they will not send troops without a clearer U.N. mandate. The administration has run into similar problems asking wealthy European nations to contribute money to rebuild Iraq. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

One hundred years ago, Horatio Nelson Jackson took up the challenge of a $50 bet and stood up for the latest trend in technology -- the automobile. Jackson won the bet, driving the car across the country. The story of this epic, months-long motor trip is the subject of a new book by Dayton Duncan. All Things Considered host Robert Siegel talks with Duncan, and see photos from the historic journey online.

While morale has become a problem for some U.S. troops in Iraq, the men of Saber Platoon, of the first brigade of the Fourth Infantry Division, are going strong. They're on the lookout for supporters of the ousted regime in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

Robert Siegel talks with director Stephen Frears. His latest film is called Dirty Pretty Things. It's a murder mystery.

Host Bob Edwards catches up with freshmen Sens. Mark Pryor and John Sununu, six months into their first term in the United States Senate. It's Edwards' third visit with Pryor, a Democrat from Arkansas, and Sununu, a Republican from New Hampshire, since they were elected in November.