Readers will love the fast-paced wit of both Amy and the supporting characters while she discovers who she is, where she wants to be, and what is truly in her heart.
Plot discrepancies and uneven pacing detract from full enjoyment the narrative, but fans of Dorothea Benton Frank will appreciate revisiting Sullivan’s Island.
This forceful, necessary novel, which includes graphic descriptions of sexual assault, depicts the often silent suffering and unfathomable effects of sexual abuse. Readers of Garth Greenwell or Eimear McBride will find it well worth diving into.
Gaynor’s immersive novel pairs well with Jessica Mann’s nonfiction book Out of Harm’s Way: The Wartime Evacuation of Children from Britain, in which firsthand accounts and extensive research relate the experiences of children who were removed from their families and taken to foreign countries. Similarly, Julia Kelly’s novel The Lost English Girl takes place at the very beginning of the war when children were being evacuated to the countryside.
Newton’s latest historical novel (following The Girls from the Beach) brings to light the kidnapping of Czech children during World War II. Readers who like this genre will enjoy.
Smith wrestles contemporary themes surrounding women’s independence, racism, and class disparity from centuries-old events in her beautifully crafted historical. Readers of Geraldine Brooks or Hilary Mantel will be enthralled.
The level of chaos in Robin’s life overwhelms the issue of widowhood at times in the novel, but there is a strong setting and many elements to engage readers. Recommended for fans of Emiko Jean or Marisa de los Santos.