December 10, 2024
In
Fiction
November 15, 2024
In
Fiction
The Bishop’s Villa by Sacha Naspini
Based on historical fact this tale of the conflicted motivations of the Italian people when it is clear the Germans will be defeated by the allies is powerful and moving. Lovers of historical fiction and world war two history will find it compelling.
October 23, 2024
In
Fiction
The Half-Life of Guilt by Lynn Stegner
A complex and exquisitely well-written novel about sexual politics, environmental issues and the guilt each of us carries, deservedly or not.
October 5, 2024
In
Fiction
Paradises Lost by Eric-Emmanual Schmitt
How our world came to be made is always a subject of interest and when that tale is told with skill, imagination and a great writer’s touch it becomes more than an epic novel: it bids fair to become part of the canon of western literature. Quick-paced and laden with detail as well as vivid characters and an enchanting story, this is a must-read.
October 4, 2024
In
Fiction
The Mortal and Immortal Life of the Girl from Milan by Domenico Starnone
Unrequited love, youthful misunderstanding of the meaning of manhood, the vagaries of language and the errors of thought that can be brought about by the fog of self delusion combine to make a fascinating and interesting story of a life lived, if not well, at least interestingly.
September 22, 2024
In
Fiction
The Ogre’s Daughter by Catherine Bardon
The mercurial and volatile life of the daughter of a notorious Caribbean dictator replete with oppressive manipulation and decadent luxury in alternating episodes, this highly interesting novel is based in truth.
September 18, 2024
In
Fiction
The Women Behind the Door by Roddy Doyle
Written with consummate skill and a fine sense of tragedy in way that only the Irish can manage this novel examines hatred, love, abuse and redemption between men and women and between mother and child.
August 19, 2024
In
Fiction
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
French eco-terrorists planning a violent protest to an environment-altering dam project are infiltrated by a ruthless and skilled young female provocateur who finds a deeper philosophical life in the writings of one of the movement’s theorists. Suspenseful and richly complex. Satisfyingly current.
August 3, 2024
In
Fiction
The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey
A bird who can talk; who can seemingly think in human ways; people who are carried along by questionable motives and inability to change their situation; these are the players. The tale is fascinating, amusing and frightening.
July 24, 2024
In
Fiction