Urquhart writes exquisite books: The Underpainter, The Stone Carvers, A Map of Glass, etc. This great new book is mainly set in the SW of Ireland (County Kerry) in the 1940-50s. The characters are vivid: two Irish brothers, an Englishwoman who eventually moves to Ireland, and a Canadian mural painter. A beautiful part of the book describes a prolonged fog delay in Gander Airport which allows detailed contemplation of a mural. There is much discussion about art and love, and even a bike race in the beauty of Ireland. This is one of my best reads of 2015.
Undermajordomo Minor – Patrick de Witt
This is a delightful book with intrigue, passionate love and loss, and some very dark places. In other words, it is a fable! Lucy Minor is a great character with vivid flaws like lying. This is a worthy book to follow the amazing success of The Sisters Brothers.
I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
A compelling love story about twins, of volatile first-love and betrayal, of parental love, all within a context of art.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20820994-i-ll-give-you-the-sun
God Help The Child by Toni Morrison
The premise of this book, that childhood experiences shape adult relationships (think of attachment disorder), is hardly novel but a master writer like Morrison can still create a compelling story. There is a passage about 2/3 of the way through this book about playing a trumpet in the rain that is transcendent.
Monocerus by Suzette Mayr
From the list of “12 under-rated Canadian novels”, this is a gritty novel about the aftermath of the death by suicide of a gay teenaged high school student, as revealed by multiple points of view. Mayr is a Calgary writer and this book is excellent albeit heart wrenching.
Restlessness – Aretha Van Herk
This is a fascinating and intriguing book, the dialog between a woman and the man she has contracted to kill her, essentially an assisted suicide. The book takes place in and around the Palliser Hotel in downtown Calgary, and the conversation includes a treatise on travelling and hotels.
84, Charing Cross Road – Helene Hanff
A series of letters written over 20 years (1949-1969) between a book buyer in NY and a London book shop is the basis of this short book. Despite the brevity of the letters, much is revealed about the writers and the context is explained wonderfully: love of literature, post-war rationing in England; and most interesting, the evolution of a relationship between people who never meet in person. Thanks Sarah for this recommendation.
The Wife – Meg Wolitzer
Wolitzer is a wonderful writer (The Interestings). This is an insightful book about a woman married to a writer who has become famous. There is a precise description of life in the 1950s for women – confronting boundaries and restrictions; the power of withholding. The slow reveal of the depth of what appears to be a one-sided relationship is enticing. This book reminded me of a Kate Christensen novel, The Great Man, also a great read.
Amy notes: in 2018 this book was released as a movie. The movie is fine, but Glenn Close as the titular wife is excellent.
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
What David Read 