May 3, 2023
In
Fiction
April 25, 2023
In
Nonfiction
First Blood by Amelie Nothomb
At times appalling, always lively, uniformly loving, this account of the author’s father and his life experiences is a bright and interesting read, and the reader is left with a warm regard for both the subject and his biographer.
April 25, 2023
In
Fiction
Barbara Isn’t Dying by Alina Bronsky
A tale of a supremely disagreeable man who must learn to be a fully functioning human being when his wife takes ill and can no longer serve him hand and foot. Bitter and sweet and with a redemptive ending.
April 18, 2023
In
Nonfiction
The Postcard by Anne Berest
A gripping search for the enigmatic meaning of a postcard bearing the names of relatives killed in the Nazi camps becomes a quest for personal identification and the finding of an appropriate place in the world. Absolutely intriguing.
April 14, 2023
In
Fiction
The Shining Mountains by Alix Christie
A chronicle of the shameful treatment of the native peoples of the northwest, this eminently readable and engaging novel is informative, touching and passionate, taken from the author’s own family history.
March 25, 2023
In
Nonfiction
The Wager by David Grann
A sea disaster story of the first order, this is a tale of courage, cowardice, loyalty and treachery, of unwavering dedication to duty and desperate preservation of life in spite of commitments to an imperial military power. It is a “cracking good tale”.
March 22, 2023
In
Nonfiction
The Half-White Album by Cynthia J. Sylvester
A powerful collection of short works of fiction and nonfiction skillfully crafted to chronicle the lives and trials of native people living in a hostile world.
February 24, 2023
In
Fiction
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
A multifaceted horror/western/feminist/gender identification story this is a disturbingly potent narrative of a woman fleeing a curse and seeking peace. Along the way she finds purpose and fulfillment.
January 31, 2023
In
Fiction
This Other Eden by Paul Harding
Based in fact, this novel tells the tragic story of a group of mixed-race islanders evicted from their rightful homes in the name of preservation of racial purity. Compelling and appalling in equal measure, the tale is nonetheless captivating and richly told.
January 18, 2023
In
Fiction