Gail is a 61-year-old administrator at a girl’s private school who will attend the wedding of her daughter Debbie tomorrow. Then her ex-husband Max shows up unannounced, with a cat. This is a tender relationship book about love and marriage, both the current situation and the past. As always, Ms. Tyler’s writing is sublime: “Gail wonders why she has so many irritating people in her life”. It is the very ordinariness of the story and characters that is so attractive. In short, a delightful mix of pathos and humour, and yes, even empathy.
Category: Book themes
Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop – Hwang Bo-reum
This interesting story is set in Korea. Yeongju quits her high-flying career to open an independent bookshop in a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul. This is an introspective and philosophical book. What is the purpose of reading? Should you pursue something you like, or something that you are good at? The characters who frequent the bookshop are all taking (small) steps forward, encouraged by a space that is a refuge, to have meaningful conversations with good people. In short, a heartwarming story about finding acceptance in your life. Thanks Amy, for this recommendation.
The In-Between Bookstore – Edward Underhill
Darby left small-town Illinois 12-years-ago to become a trans-masculine individual in NY. But now unemployed, he returns to his home which is unsettling. And when he enters the local bookstore where he used to work, he experiences time travel back to 2009 and he meets … himself! Can his pre-transition self be influenced, and can fraught relationships be altered? At its core, this is a story of love and self-discovery. Highly recommended.
Prairie Edge – Conor Kerr
This gritty story by Mr. Kerr is reminiscent of Katherena Vermette‘s great writing, and so a trigger warning could have been utilized. Isadore (Ezzy) Desjarlais and Grey Ginther are distant Metis cousins living in and around Edmonton, and candidly they are very flawed characters. Bison are stolen from Elk Island Park and released into Edmonton’s river valley, bison representing the past before colonialism. And there are other criminal acts. Powerful writing provides a biting critique of modern activism. The abysmal foster care system and subsequent substance abuse are also key elements. This is a novel that is both triumphant and tragic, so highly recommended (thanks Amy, for this book).
Witchcraft For Wayward Girls – Grady Hendrix
Simply put, this is a powerful book. As always, the context is crucial. In 1970, Wellwood House in Florida is a home for unmarried pregnant women, only these are pregnant children aged 14-15 who have been ostracized by their families and banished. They experience shame and guilt, and profound helplessness. So, what will happen when a librarian offers them a book about witchcraft? Can spells offer an alternative to feelings of being powerless? But power has a price, and every price must be paid. The story contains graphic descriptions of childbirth, so reader be warned. The misogyny and abuse directed to these girls is astonishing – highly recommended.
Intermezzo – Sally Rooney
Ms. Rooney (author of Normal People) has written another superb relationship book. Peter and Ivan are dissimilar brothers, 10 years different in age who are grieving the recent death of their father. The younger brother begins a relationship with an older woman. Meanwhile, the older brother has a complicated relationship with two women. Can you care passionately for an unsuitable person? The prose is exceptional with frequent stream-of-consciousness thinking. And there is a need for honesty, and for forgiveness by others and by oneself. Highly recommended.
The Door-To-Door Bookshop – Carsten Henn
Full disclosure: this is a hopelessly sentimental book – blame my age and the obvious reality that I love books. Carl is a 72-year-old German bookseller who delivers books to special customers in the evening. A chance encounter with 9-year-old Schascha changes his life. All is not sweetness and light – the novel contains considerable darkness. But at its core, this is a story about friendships forged through books.
Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade – Janet Skeslien Charles
Anne Morgan, the daughter of the financier J.P. Morgan, established the American Committee for Devastated France (Le Comite americain pour les regions devastees, or CARDs). In January 1918, Jessie Carson leaves her NYPL librarian post to travel to Blerencourt in Northern France to establish children’s libraries, sometimes using bookmobiles from converted ambulances. Her efforts are complicated by ongoing and brutal WWI actions requiring temporary resettlement in France. Ms. Carson’s notable achievements are researched in 1987 by Wendy Peterson also working at the NYPL. This story is a tribute to human resilience.
The Briar Club – Kate Quinn
Consistent with previous Quinn books (The Rose Code, The Alice Project), this is a book about women and their female relationships. The context: Washington DC from 1950-54, so the era of paranoid McCarthyism and racism. Women living Briarwood House, an all-female boarding house, are united by the Thursday night Briar Club for potluck food and conversation. This book about female friendships and secrets makes for compelling reading.
What David Read 