About Book Marks
Recent Reviews
Lisa Donovan
Positive Booklist ...the book is written in a fierce and visceral style ... She articulates universal truths while also encouraging readers to think about their own relationships. In a world that all too often credits male chefs for the culinary contributions of women and people of color, this is a valuable addition to the culinary memoir canon.
Maryse Condé, Trans. by Richard Philcox
Rave Booklist Award-winning author Condé...is a gifted storyteller, and nowhere is this more evident than in her latest novel ... Set during the Charlie Hedbo attacks, this is a fast-paced saga that reveals a seldom-addressed period of African history. Condé’s writing is both lyrical and textured, and showcases her tremendous talents.
Anne Raeff
Positive Booklist ... an epic generational tale set against the backdrop of revolutionary war in Nicaragua ... Filled with lyrical prose and lush descriptions of the setting (including Pepa’s explorations of the jungle and its animal inhabitants), this is a thoughtful reflection on a family and its legacy.
Elizabeth Wetmore
Rave Booklist The grim and oppressive landscape evokes the characters’ hopeless feelings, but even in this environment there is still hope. Drawing comparisons to Barbara Kingsolver and Wallace Stegner, Wetmore writes with an evidently innate wisdom about the human spirit. With deep introspection, she expertly unravels the complexities between men, women, and the land they inhabit. Achingly powerful, this story will resonate with readers long after having finished it.
Marie Ndiaye
Positive Booklist Lauded French-Senegalese author NDiaye...introduces the otherwise-unnamed \'Cheffe,\' a woman so consumed with creating unique culinary delicacies that this desire overrules everything else in her life ... Hauntingly original and told in a conversational tone that quickly makes readers feel they are the narrator’s confidants, this is another entry in NDiaye’s already impressive volume of work.
Shauna M. Ahern
Positive Booklist ... powerful ... [Ahern\'s] candid voice, which is at times both funny and poignant, guides readers through her life, always with a reflective eye ... A courageous memoir by a gifted writer, this is the authentic and honest journey of someone who has sought out a life lived with purpose, and a brave testimony of one woman’s empowerment.