The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan I was drawn to the dystopian premise of this novel, that mothers who aren’t “good” must be reformed by the state, as well as the voice in the early chapters. However, all the pages describing Frida’s time in “the school” are slow, redundant, and laborious to read. […]
Provenance by Sue Mell Sue Mell’s PROVENANCE is a jewel of a novel. To be able to transform the domestic, themes involving little action, into a page turner is a true skill. The subtleties and nuance captured in this work are masterful. Two grown siblings, both under financial pressure, one grieving, one getting divorced, trying […]
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li This is a book about the deep psychological and emotional bond between two young girls, best friends in war ravaged 1950’s St Remy. Fabienne and Agnes, making the world real with make believe games, have a devastating yet true relationship. Fabienne is a realist beyond her years while […]
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro Listening to the audio narrated by the author was an extra pleasure. Shapiro knows something about family secrets and SIGNAL FIRES, her first novel in over a decade provided a wonderful opportunity in which to disseminate her gathered wisdom on this topic. The novel is not told in chronological order, […]
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Kingsolver transports the reader into one young man’s heartbreaking life in a manner that feels no less than brilliant. I couldn’t stop asking myself how she accessed that voice, that vernacular, those sensibilities. Although this book is so relevant to issues in our world, it is this character that Kingsolver […]
The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas Having heard this book compared to Atkinson’s Life after Life, I was very excited to read it. Whereas Life after Life accomplishes elegant, almost dream-like revisions of a life’s outcome, The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano is more of a Groundhog Day beating over the head. […]
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus I was excited to read this after all the hype. It is a funny rendering, but at times too long and schmaltzy. This is the type of book that will make a great rom com movie. I had issues with the structure, the way it started and then the […]
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery This book’s power is made even more sharp by its economy, it’s exactitude. The interconnected stories, or loosely connected chapters, however you choose to name them, are so rich in nuance that Escoffery blazes fearlesslessly along with an inventive narrative structure that doesn’t forego character development or emotion […]
Crying in the Bathroom by Erika L. Sánchez This is a memoir of inter-connected, more or less chronological essays that took me on a journey of laughter, tears, empowerment and despair. Erica’s writing (and narration of the audiobook) was courageous and so honest. It was the type of memoir that leaves the author nakedly vulnerable […]
Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch by Erin French I listened to this audio book narrated by the author, Erin French, which was a treat in and of itself. Finding Freedom is a beautiful memoir with highs and lows and with a banquet of tastes and flavors woven through. Raised on […]
