My love of British royalty is old news. Earlier in the month I read, The Heir Affair, about the fictional modern-day travails of a newly married Prince of Wales and his American bride. I loved it and am happy to be back today with historical fiction about the real royal family. Bryn Turnbull’s The Woman Before Wallis is the best of both worlds—scandal encompassing the royals ... Read More...
Another Side of Paradise
In case you’ve forgotten the details of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life, here’s a quick recap: after his early, stunning literary successes he dumped his wife Zelda in an institution and headed to Hollywood to try and earn a living as a screenwriter, because he was deep in debt and his literary gifts have disappeared in an ocean of booze. Unfortunately, that job entails being sober ... Read More...
Rare Objects: A Novel
Before we’ve even met her Maeve has lived a lot of life for a twenty-five-year-old woman in the 1930s. After secretarial school she leaves Boston for New York City, using the lie of a big job opportunity as a way to get out of marriage and town. But because no such job existed in Depression era NYC Maeve ends up working in a dance hall on Broadway where only alcohol ... Read More...
Evergreen: A Novel
A small cabin without running water, indoor plumbing, or electricity, in the wilderness of Minnesota is the setting for Rebecca Rasmussen’s new novel, Evergreen. In it, the young Evaline joins her new husband Emil who hopes to build their life as a taxidermist to the numerous hunters and sportsmen who live in the region’s lumber towns. Although a city girl, Evaline embraces ... Read More...
Euphoria: A Novel
It’s that moment about two months in, when you think you’ve finally got a handle on the place. Suddenly it feels within your grasp. It’s a delusion—you’ve only been there eight weeks—and it’s followed by the complete despair of ever understanding anything. But at that moment the place feels entirely yours. It’s the briefest purest euphoria —Nell We meet Fen and Nell as they ... Read More...
Guests on Earth
Guests on Earth: A Novel by Lee Smith is the story of an orphan, thirteen-year-old Evalina Toussaint, who, after her mother dies, is sent to the Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, because she stops eating. Highland is a renowned mental health institution knowing for principles of healthful eating and activity as a cure for mental and emotional problems. It is ... Read More...
