Gray shows the complex natures of these broken characters and how abuse, deceit, and life’s struggles are all made worse by racism, poverty, and homophobia. A great pick for book clubs and an essential purchase.
Overall, a fair introduction to colorwork for the experienced crocheter up for a challenge. Given the intended audience (UK and experienced crocheters), this book is best for larger libraries’ crochet collections.
A must-have for any library’s crochet collection. Those experienced with crochet techniques and those new to the craft will likely find much to love. Appealing and artful photographs of the designs will have crafters itching to pick up their hooks.
Readers seeking a nuanced portrayal of mother-daughter dynamics as well as a soaring portrait of courageous women during wartime will find much to love in Dillon’s (The Happiest Girl in the World) latest.
El-Wardany’s highly recommended debut sensitively handles rape, domestic abuse, and the pressure of familial obligation. The book’s particular strength is in its treatment of the women’s Islamic faith as each grapples with what it means to be devout. There are no easy answers here, and readers will be thinking about Malak, Kees, and Jenna long after they close the book.
Readers seeking a sci-fi action romp will be disappointed. Wuehle mixes folklore, philosophy, and the occult in this examination of memory, feminism, self, and identity. Gen X readers will appreciate the cultural milestones and infamous celebrities of the 1990s featured throughout. A circular narrative and slow plotting, however, will limit the appeal to the most adventurous literary readers. For larger fiction collections.
While the twists at the end are not needed and somewhat spoil what comes before it, this novel from Murphy (I Love You More) is ultimately a love story between a mother and a daughter as well as an examination of how trauma shapes our lives and choices. Recommended for larger fiction collections.
Tompkins has written a stirring and excellent story of loss, silence, forgiveness, Quakerism, and faith. Each of her characters are fully realized, and though their actions may at times disappoint readers, their motivations are understandable. Book discussion groups, as well as fans of Annie Dillard, Ann Patchett, and Marilynne Robinson, will love this debut novel about humankind’s connections to one another and to the divine.