George Saunders, who is already a prolific short story writer and essayist, released this experimental novel in 2017. I would not necessarily have chosen it for myself, but it was the July pick for the Porter Square Books book club and I found the premise to be intriguing.… Continue reading
Tag: historical fiction (Page 1 of 3)
In the tiny town of Faha, immense change is coming. The rain that has fallen on the town for years has stopped, electricity is entering the buildings, and 17-year-old Noe finds himself sharing a bedroom with a charismatic newcomer named Christy.… Continue reading
I have maintained a longtime appreciation for historical fiction novels, particularly those which capture characters’ evolving lives against the backdrop of historically significant events. While my mom recommended this coming-of-age story to me a long time ago (exclaiming in the middle of a thrift store that she had to buy me my own copy), it took me a couple of years to begin working my way through all 657 pages of it.… Continue reading
Elizabeth Zott is a chemist whose mind is too vast and too brilliant to fit the constraints of the society she is born into. It’s the 1950s, and instead of rising deservedly to the upper echelons of the scientific community she has fought so hard to enter, she finds herself the subject of her male colleagues’ ire, disdain, and unchecked desire.… Continue reading
In Jane Austen’s first published novel, two sisters with very different temperaments experience similar situations: powerful romances followed by devastating heartbreak. The reserved Elinor, whose sense bars her from outwardly expressing her desires, and the passionate Marianne, whose sensibility drives her to wear her heart on the sleeve of her gown, respond to challenges and navigate the nuances of relationships quite dissimilarly, prompting a fascinating exploration of the ways in which a person’s personality shapes their success and social outcomes.… Continue reading
