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Mexican Gothic: A Novel

July 24, 2020

mexican

Sometimes it requires a bit of effort to tease out a book’s theme or premise based on the title. That’s not the case in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s debut novel, Mexican Gothic. It is exactly that, a noir horror novel set in 1950s Mexico. Noemi is the pampered daughter of a wealthy family whose her father asks her to go to a remote town to visit her newly married cousin, Catalina. ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: fantasy, historical fiction, horror, Mexico

Utopia Avenue: A Novel by David Mitchell

July 22, 2020

utopia

‘Utopia’ means ‘no place.’ An avenue is a place. So is music. When we’re playing well, I’m here, but elsewhere, too. That’s the paradox. Utopia is unattainable. Avenues are everywhere. Derek, Elf, Jasper, and Griff each has a dream: make it big in the music industry playing music they love. So far, it hasn’t panned out for any of them. But when manager Levon Frankland ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 1960s, historical fiction, literary, London, pop culture

Crooked Hallelujah

July 17, 2020

crooked

Texas and Oklahoma, during the 1970s and 1980s oil boom and bust, is the setting for Crooked Hallelujah, a debut novel about the lives of three generations of Cherokee women. Lula is the matriarch, Justine her daughter, and Reney her grand-daughter. The times were difficult, but even more so if you were a Native American and a woman. Against this arid backdrop their lives are ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, historical fiction, literary, Native Americans

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

June 10, 2020

vanishing

Where to begin with Brit Bennett’s new novel The Vanishing Half? Ostensibly it’s the story of identical twins Stella and Desiree who grow up in Mallard, a small, poor community in the Deep South, comprised solely of light-skinned black people. But given what’s happening in America right now reviewing a book about race feels fraught, even when it’s fiction. As a white woman I ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 20th century, book clubs, cultural, historical fiction, literary

The First Actress: A novel

May 27, 2020

actress

Born the illegitimate daughter of a French courtesan, Sarah Bernhardt didn’t even live with her mother until she was eight years old. When she did move in with her, Sarah caught the eye of one of her mother’s patrons and was shipped off to convent boarding school. Not for her safety, but because her mother didn’t want the competition.  When she returned to Paris at 15 her ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 19th century, France, historical fiction

Rodham: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld

May 20, 2020

rodham

Seldom has there been a public figure more scrutinized, disparaged, and talked about than Hillary Rodham Clinton. You might think it’s the price to be paid for entering politics, but the level of personal attacks against her often seem largely based on the fact that she is a she. Add to this her marriage to a man not known for his fidelity and her defeat in the 2016 ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, historical fiction, literary, politics, women

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