A painter herself, Russo makes the act of creating art come alive, while effectively limning her characters in this incisive study of contemporary life. [See Prepub Alert, 12/9/19.]
Having moved from Beirut to Paris with the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War, the Prix Goncourt–winning Maalouf (The Rock of Tanios) deftly lets us know how the changes wrought by time’s passage really feel, especially when one has traded continents and cultures.
Of a piece with Schweblin’s elliptical Fever Dream and the disturbing story collection A Mouthful of Birds, both runners-up for the Man Booker International Prize, this jittery eye-opener will appeal to a wide range of readers.