Anne M

While this novel centers around Carmel and her daughter Nell, the elephant in the room for both characters is Phil, Carmel's father and Nell's grandfather--Irish poet and national treasure. It's about the poetry--the beauty and the heartbreak in the meanings behind those words. Carmel tries to reckon with them, while Nell is trying to discover and find connection. What we inherit can be so different. -Anne M

Saying that Kate Atkinson's new book is a collection of short stories is a little misleading. While they could all stand on their own, the stories make more sense in how they are connected—how they call back and reference each other. And the connections are surprising and pretty fun. We have Atkinson's crime fiction, but also nods to fantasy and science fiction. As always, Atkinson brings her sardonic wit. -Anne M

Longlisted for the National Book Award, Jayne Anne Phillips’ “The Night Watch” is a compelling narrative about one West Virginia family and how the Civil War broke them apart. Phillips lands the reader first in the middle of the foray on a plodding carriage ride to deliver ConaLee and her mother to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. ConaLee's mother hasn't spoken for years, and the man she calls Papa is done. He hands over the younger children to some neighbors, packs up the house, and commits his wife, demanding ConaLee report as her companion and nurse. Phillips pushes and pulls us through the Civil War, how we got to the asylum door, and then moves us onto the consequences, the truths revealed. There were parts of this story that were immersive; the text made my heart race. It is a great read, albeit brutal. -Anne M

I really enjoy Daniel Mason’s writing. I loved The Winter Soldier. (Now that I think of it, I should read that one again. It’s so good!) But Mason really surprised me with this book. It is refreshing, funny, and a little chaotic. It follows the history of a single piece of land in the woods of western Massachusetts from first contact into the future. It’s the story of the land, the animals that live there, and the house that stands on it and how they change with each generation, but also how each generation is influenced by the land and the house. It is full of these beautiful connections woven throughout the generations—sometimes in completely unexpected ways. One of my favorite parts of the novel are the ghostly ballads written by two twin sisters that are used as interludes between chapters. Yes, this novel is ambitious. And Mason succeeds. -Anne M

A lot of “pandemic novels” are coming out right now—at least narratives inspired by or written during the pandemic and everything that happened within that time. They provide a window into what authors were thinking about, working through, or grappling with during the height of the pandemic. Lauren Groff’s thinking was pretty bleak. Her thoughts turned to the “Starving Time” of Jamestown: crops failed, disease flourished, and those that survived ate everything. The narrative centers on a white servant girl, who is called many different names in her short life, and her decision to run away from the colonial settlement and strike out on her own in hopes of finding the French. She is hungry and afraid in the settlement and what is unknown to her beyond the palisade holds better chances for survival. The story follows her during those first few weeks with glimpses into how she found herself on this side of the Atlantic. This survival novel is engrossing, and it takes on quite a few subjects: colonization, land use, 17th century religion, and the oppressively hierarchical structure of English society. But also, what does it mean to be human when you are alone? What does real survival mean? Groff left me with more questions than answers, but good novelists do that. -Anne M

First and foremost, I enjoyed reading “The Invisible Hour.” It was the right book at the right time for me. I needed something fast-paced and light and compelling and fun. But it was also silly and sort of ludicrous. I liked it and I hated it. That is how some books are. I haven’t read Alice Hoffman before, but I will pick up any book about modern-day Puritanical societies hidden in the wilds of Western Massachusetts. And the novel is about the love of reading, which resonates with me. “The Invisible Hour” is about Mia, a young girl, living in a restrictive collective community who discovers books and through those books finds herself and learns about the outside world. The book that changes her life is “The Scarlett Letter.” She escapes the collective, finds kindred spirits (and they are librarians!) that help her get on her feet, and rereads Hawthorne. I like Nathaniel Hawthorne. Puritan guilt is something I relate to and he explores that quite frequently in his fiction. He is moody and dark and great with imagery. “The House of the Seven Gables” is one of my favorites. All of this works for me. But then Mia falls in love and that is where the book goes off the rails. This book turns suddenly to have elements of “Back to the Future” mixed with “Outlander,” but with Nathaniel Hawthorne, which was weird to read. I guess you could say that Hoffman is exploring the relationship between author and reader, its intimacies, and power. Overall, it was fun. -Anne M

I really found this novel captivating. Told from many different points of view, the novel centers on Beatrix, who is sent to the United States as part of a program to evacuate children from London during the Blitz. We hear from her parents as they wring their hands on sending her away, the family in Boston who take her in, and of course, Bea herself. Bea grows up in America, comes of age, and has hopes, triumphs, as well as disappointments. But she has to go back. This is one of those novels that you are unsure what the right course is: does she belong in London or in Boston? What does Bea want? This evacuation has consequences that reverberate through her life and the lives of her family, both paternal and found. -Anne M

I read a lot of fiction set during World War II. If you like historical fiction, the period is pretty unavoidable. I have never read anything quite like this take on the Blitz. Normally the Brits muddle through this experience in novels (stiff upper lip and all that). They go to work. They meet with friends. They put up their black out curtains. But Jo Baker tosses this narrative right out with this novel. Yes, the main character Charlotte goes to work, meets with friends, and puts up her black out curtains. But she experiences significant psychological distress. She isn't sleeping (who could when the neighborhood is bombed every night?). Her friends and neighbors are dying. And she isn't quite sure her ministry typing job is amounting to any help at all. She starts questioning a great deal and also believes she is being followed--catching the eye of her estranged family. Is it madness or is the Blitz covering for something menacing out there? -Anne M

To cut to the chase, I couldn't put this novel down. It is a research mystery about a family past, which I loved. It is also beautifully written. It is also a novel rooted in truth. There really was a postcard and it was really sent to Anne Berest's mother. And Anne Berest and her mother did conduct this family research. But the fictionalized elements fill in the gap of the history that was erased--the stories of Berest's great-grandparents and great aunt and uncle could not pass down. Their memories were extinguished at Auschwitz If you appreciate the role that novels play in showing you something, "The Postcard" is the novel that encapsulates the idea of inherited trauma. -Anne M

The best word to describe "Salvage this World" is transporting. Michael Farris Smith delivers "sense of place" as he takes you to the Mississippi Delta borderland between Louisiana and Mississippi. This Southern Gothic tale will appeals to fans of S. A. Cosby or True Detective. -Anne M

Cece Cordell, newly promoted to principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, is facing history. She is the first Black ballerina for the company, knows she worked twice as hard as everyone else to get there, and is worried it isn’t enough. It is a lot of pressure—not to mention how incredibly difficult it is just to just be a professional ballet dancer. She also has to face her past, especially as a significant life decision might throw her off a course she has strived for her entire life. Dances is a novel that shows you the physical and psychological wear and tear of being an athlete. Nicole Cuffy shows you through the writing every muscle stretch and strain, every twitch, every sharp pain of Cece’s. All the reviews of this book comment on the physical nature of Cuffy’s writing in describing ballet steps and moves and they are right. It is stand out. However, Cuffy also successfully captures the minds relationship with the body. The control and inability to control. The thoughts of feeling not worthy, that you do not belong, and that you are being judged. It is a great read. -Anne M

Rachel Beanland got some buzz for her “Florence Adler Swims Forever.” Her second historical fiction novel is set in 1811 and follows four people who survive the Great Richmond Theatre Fire. There is Sally, the daughter of Patrick Henry who is recently widowed and grieving for her husband, Cecily an enslaved woman in an impossible situation, Jack a young stagehand who is looking for a career as an actor, and Gilbert, a blacksmith working extra hard to buy his freedom as well as his wife’s. These people end up getting caught in this horrific tragic event—and there are severe consequences as well as new opportunities that each person is handed in survival. I will say the first quarter of the book is grim and deals with death and mayhem as we see through the character’s eyes what it takes to survive. I needed some breaks while reading it. It is haunting. -Anne M

If you like your historical fiction with new perspectives on old stories with imagery for prose, look no further than "The Manningtree Witches." Blakemore takes on the history of Matthew Hopkins, 17th century witchfinder and author of "The Discovery of Witches," a text used to prosecute many English women. His arrival into Manningtree, his methods, and the consequences for the town are told in an empathetic and insightful way by Blakemore through the eyes of Rebecca West, a young woman deeply intertwined in the saga. Sofia Zervudachi's narration makes it difficult to put this one down. -Anne M

As Bilger asserts in his family memoir, Fatherland, everyone will find something haunting in their own family tree. His own is his grandfather. Karl Gönner, a member of the Nazi party and schoolteacher was sent to Alsace in occupied France to "reeducate" the children of Bartenheim. He was promoted to head of the Nazi party in the town overseeing required work assignments. Grappling with this information, Bilger returns to the region, researching and seeking what his grandfather did, trying to find why he would participate. With all of these things, it's complicated. Bilger writes thoughtfully and openly, taking on a painful, hurtful subject. -Anne M

Transport yourself to the lemon orchards of 19th century Sicily with Lisa Scottoline's epic novel about the rise of the Mafia. Following the threads of several stories, the characters are engaging and novel is riveting. It is a great read for the summer. Like always, Edoardo Ballerini provides a fantastic narration. -Anne M

With very compelling storytelling, journalist Rory Carroll takes on the IRA's assassination attempt of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a hotel in Brighton during the Conservative Party Conference. Part-history, part-true crime, this is really a great read. Carroll provides context to the Troubles and the Irish and British political situation at the time, as well as the stories of the people involved in the attempt and the manhunt as well as the lives disrupted by the violence. -Anne M

This is a gripping history of the Klan's resurgence in the United States during the 1920's--especially it's control over Indiana state and local government. Of course, I wouldn't expected anything less than an important topic that is well-researched and well-written from Timothy Egan. Yes, it is great storytelling, but it is also an important history that we cannot look away from. -Anne M

Conklin stretches her legs as a writer here through this funny and endearing novel. Darcy and the small town of Murbridge encapsulates a lot of what Americans are experiencing post-pandemic: disconnection, polarization, disillusion, anger, fear, and resentment. But Conklin's tale isn't one of despair. This book is about making connections with others, creating community around common goals, and finding meaning in your life through the process. But this novel also doesn't take itself too seriously. It is laugh-out-loud funny. -Anne M

A lot of was riding on this first of its kind coast-to-coast airplane race. Billy Mitchell was hoping to have Congress create an independent air force. The post office wanted to establish an airmail service. Multiple entrepreneurs wanted the public to buy into the idea of air travel. The great transcontinental air race of October 1919 was going to prove these things were needed and practical. Lancaster provides a detailed portrait on the state of aeronautics after World War I, the characters and personalities involved in the race, and the repercussions of a successful, yet deadly contest. Air historians or people who love micro-histories will enjoy this book. -Anne M

If you are looking for a well-written, breezy mystery, pick up this fun series from Elly Griffiths. -Anne M

"Foster" is a quiet, brisk novella that packs a punch. Claire Keegan is beginning to be one of my favorite authors. -Anne M

Between the podcast "Noble Blood" and the recent movie "Corsage," you might be familiar with King Ludwig II of Bavaria and his mysterious murder and Empress Sisi of Austria and her beauty habits. Jemc brings these people to life in this historical fiction novel giving meaning to the eccentricities, while also giving us a good dose of humor. Highly recommend. -Anne M

This book has a lot of elements to it. Is it a novel highlighting the downward mobility of an aristocratic family that feel crushed by duty to an estate and ancestry? A coming of age tale of three children with some pretty uninterested and uncaring parents? Is it a book about the love of story and finding oneself in the theater or in books? Or is it a spy thriller? It's sort of all of these. While this take may seem disjointed at times, the main characters of Cristabel, Flossie, and Digby carry us through the multiple dimensions of this book. I greatly enjoyed it. -Anne M

I’ve always enjoyed Kate Atkinson’s books. She is always able to somehow marry the tragic and the comedic, showing complexity of character or situation. But I loved this book. Perhaps it was the time and place (1920’s London reeling from the aftermath of World War I) or the characters (Gwedonllen Kelling, a librarian now independently wealthy looking for a lost family member of a friend), but I reveled every page. -Anne M

The main story that threads this novel is of the love of Samir Vij and Firdaus Khan. They are both skilled in their crafts: Samir an apprentice in his family’s perfumery and Firdaus, a student of calligraphy, the only female in her father’s studio. While their love grows, the British Raj dissolves and Partition begins. And Samir is a Hindu and Firdaus is a Muslim. The new borders that create Pakistan and India doesn’t just sever land. But this book is much more than a love story. It is about finding meaning in oneself when everything is taken away. It is about how trauma and history are inherited. It is about what memories we hold on to and what we don’t. And it is about perfume. Malhotra brings scents alive along with the memories they capture. I enjoyed this novel. -Anne M

President Woodrow Wilson, in his speech asking Congress to enter World War I, stated that we would make the world "safe for democracy." In "American Midnight," Adam Hochschild compellingly argues that at this time, democracy was in peril on the home front. From tramping down labor unions to jailing political opponents to silencing dissenting arguments (including removing public library books) to inflicting catastrophic violence against immigrants and Black Americans, America in the years of 1917-1920 was in a crisis. Hochschild explores the issues and themes that led America to the brink. He also dives in to the people who engaged and argued in the public sphere about their vision for America as well as those that were greatly impacted by this societal shift. It is a great read! -Anne M

Cushla Lavery wants to fix things. She wants to help her brother manage the family's pub. She wants to help her mother stop drinking. As a primary school teacher, she wants to help a socially struggling student find acceptance. She wants a lot of things and works for them. But this is Northern Ireland in the 1970's and everything is an uphill battle. And then Michael Agnew walks into the pub. He is all the wrong things: married, Protestant, older and from a different social class. He offers Cushla an escape from the daily toils and community violence. Will this last? This is a beautifully written novel. Heartbreaking, of course, and full of feeling. The audiobooks is a gem. -Anne M

What makes a community turn on a neighbor, especially a tight-knit community? Hugh Parsons wasn't pleasant to be around. He was irascible, mean-spirited, and always seemed to show up when you didn't want him. Malcolm Gaskill takes us to Puritan Springfield, Massachusetts in 1651 where Hugh Parson's angry and bearish behavior leads to accusations of witchcraft. Unlike Salem with its long list of victims, Springfield, which happened 40 years before, ruined just one family. Was it just Hugh Parson's behavior? Did they just want to be rid of him? Or was the accusations about deeper fear? A brand new colonial settlement, Springfield was going through some drastic socio-economic-political-cultural changes. Gaskill paints an interesting portrait of a town on the brink. -Anne M

If there was ever a book that reveals the fundamentals of human nature, this is it. Yiyun Li's The Book of Goose reminds me of a modern folk tale (without the magic or talking animals) but with the elements of a cautionary lesson. -Anne M

I really enjoy Schiff’s biographies and histories. She wrote one on Cleopatra and another called "The Witches," which chronicles the New England witchcraft hysteria of the 17th century. Both I recommend highly. Schiff is a great storyteller. She knows how to set the scene, provides interesting context, and then introduces her subject. This time it is founding father and known trouble-maker Samuel Adams. Now sort of a footnote in Revolutionary history, Adams played a huge role in providing unrelenting criticism of the king and parliament, leading to our country’s independence from Britain. Why was his legacy buried? Schiff's take is pretty interesting, especially through our 21st century lens. -Anne M

I truly enjoyed reading this collection of contemporary authors taking on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. It was interesting to see what each author emphasized with the character from the knitting to the telling of village stories to her deep understanding of "human nature." I especially loved the stories by Ruth Ware, Elly Griffiths, and Natalie Haynes. It was also a good opportunity to find new authors I've never read. -Anne M

If you are looking for a fun, fast read, I recommend The Cloisters. It is somewhat a mystery and a thriller with elements of dark academia. -Anne M

John Wood Sweet brings the story of Lanah Sawyer to light in this historical courtroom account. What I found surprising is even though these cases were tried very differently because of the political and economic status of women in the 18th Century, there is a lot that 21st Century readers would find familiar. -Anne M

Fiction has a way of showing us something rather than telling us. This book is a great example. Bunny, the main character of "Rabbits for Food" experiences debilitating depression during the holidays and is institutionalized. As we follow Bunny through her day at the hospital and learn of her past through the therapeutic writing prompts, much is revealed about the character. The backstory unravels slowly and carefully. There is also humor, albeit dark, in this book. Bunny has such wit and such intelligence, you feel her sense of being trapped by her illness. This is such a well-written, creative narrative structure. -Anne M

Emma Donoghue returns to her isolation theme as in "Room." Set in the Middle Ages in Ireland, three monks leave their monastery to find a renewed settlement in service to God. They settle on a desolate island filled only with birds, little else to eat, and no shelter. How to proceed is up to debate amongst the three. Are bodily needs like food and shelter necessary if they devote themselves fully to God? The situtation is tense and often dire as they get to know each other more fully through adversity. -Anne M

This book is devastating and hopeful at the same time. It is a story that starts out harrowing, but after hard work and ingenuity by a few individuals, things change for the better. The Facemaker, a history of World War I facial reconstruction, sets the scene: how World War I was fought in new and horrific ways. It was industrial. There were a lot of advancements in weapons of war. (And of course, for what?) Lindsey Fitzharris describes this moment in time very well. Then there are the people put in the trenches and at sea and in the air, not to mention the civilians, facing this new weaponry. Fitzharris makes these stories personal and individual, the pain experienced both inside and out. She picks a number of individuals that came home with significant facial injuries and how they viewed their lives as over. Enter Harold Gillies, an ears, nose, and throat doctor, who is about to become the leading expert in facial reconstruction. If you love compelling histories of war or medicine, I recommend this book. As an aside, the audio version was excellently narrated. -Anne M