Location / Setting – Page 37

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro Ishiguro writes impeccable books about life in England: e.g. Remains of the Day and my favourite, Never Let Me Go. This intriguing story takes place in post-Arthur Britain, with Britons and Saxons and a knight (Sir Gawain) and ogres, pixies and a dragon. There is something “off”, a forgetfulness or loss of memory, that drives the story in a fascinating way. Two principal characters, Axl and Beatrice, are delightful; overall, an excellent book.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22522805-the-buried-giant

Salvage The Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Salvage The Bones by Jesmyn Wood The writing in this books reminds me of Toni Morrison, so high praise. There is a strong sense of impending doom for a Mississippi family (poverty, dog-fighting, teen-age pregnancy) while Katrina bores down on them. Excellent descriptive writing.

Close To Hugh by Marina Endicott

This is a brilliant book about complex relationships of love and friendship. At the core is Hugh, a 50-something man whose life is unravelling for physical and psychological reasons. The story is set in Peterborough and art (painting, installations art, and especially theatre) features prominently. The writing is very fine throughout.

A Spool Of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

Tyler’s 20th novel is, once again, about a Baltimore family, 3 generations. The writing is elegant, with a subtle reveal of strong emotions: love but also bewilderment and surprising strengths in surprising situations. Characters that we initially dismiss as shallow turn out to be stronger than we expected or suspected. Tyler continues to be a literary treasure.

The Green Road by Ann Enright

A splendid story set in the west of Ireland, about a family: wife/mother and four siblings. In the first part of the book, we meet the individual family members but the best part is in the latter half when the entire somewhat dysfunctional family is together. Complex relationships are described wonderfully.

A Year Of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman

A Year Of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman This is a delightful and somewhat magical book, set in 1947 in Cornwall, England. The writing is beautiful, just wonderful story telling. Winman previously wrote the delightful When God Was A Rabbit which is brilliant.

(Amy’s note: When God was a Rabbit has one of the funniest descriptions of a Christmas pageant that I’ve ever read)

A Beauty by Connie Gault

Exquisite writing about small-town and rural Saskatchewan in 1932 (dirty thirties and depression) and 1960. At the heart of the story is Elena, an enigmatic and mysterious woman. Much is left unsaid in this moving and poignant story.

And The Birds Rained Down by Jocelyn Saucier

And The Birds Rained Down by Jocelyn Saucier.jpg A beautiful and moving story about ageing on your own terms. The novel is set in Northern Ontario where 3 elderly men can hide in the remoteness. But two women join the hideaway and life for all changes. The ending is wistful and transcendent. This was the second funner-up in Canada Reads 2015 (with Martha Wainwright as the proponent), a very well-deserved recognition of exceptional writing.

Americanah by Chimanantha Ngozi Adichie

Adichie has written a brilliant book about a girl growing up in Nigeria, her 15 years in America and then her return to Nigeria. The writing is thoughtful and insightful, especially her observations about race in America (the central character writes a blog about life in America).