RaveLibrary Journal... an affectionate, tender story about everyday heroism, secret selves, and triumphs and tragedies on stage and in life and the many kinds of love that bind us together. Masterly historical novelist O’Connor...brings these friendships urgently to life in all their complexity, messiness, and grandeur ... Queasy readers shouldn’t be put off by the darker elements of the story, e.g., Dracula, Jack the Ripper, foggy Victorian London; this work offers readers an authentic and deeply moving literary experience.
Christopher Bollen
PositiveLibrary JournalBollen offers first-rate entertainment that features attractive young people, beautiful locations, contentious families, fabulous wealth, lies and deceit, friendship and passion, and dirty deeds ... enjoyable ... Bollen links each of the two narratives in significant ways to the criminal adventure to offer skillfully wrought crime fiction plumbing LGBTQ romance and the meaning of love.
Emily Nemens
RaveLibrary JournalThis first novel is a beautifully realized meditation on the complex, uncertain nature of daily life ... Nemens’s knowledge of the subtleties of baseball complements her philosophical content in powerful ways ... A triumphant debut; enthusiastically recommended for fans of literary fiction and great sports writing.
Zach Powers
PositiveLibrary Journal... accomplished, emotionally rich ... As unlikely as this premise may sound, Powers creates a compelling, deeply engaging story about the value of human life under the pressure of politics ... Powers skillfully handles the complex emotions and relationships among the individuals in this top-secret program, which makes for a very satisfying read ... An impressively realized work that will be welcomed by those interested in literary fiction, Cold War history, and early space programs.
Clare Clark
RaveLibrary Journal... engaging, emotionally rich ... A beautifully crafted exploration about living in a very complex world; recommended for fans of literary fiction, historical novels, and art history.
Liza Wieland
RaveLibrary JournalWith this exquisite novel, Wieland...offers a beautifully realized tribute to distinguished American poet Elizabeth Bishop ... As with Bishop\'s own work, the novel is quiet, observational, and reflective, exhibiting its own kind of poetry as it brings its subject\'s deeply humane, inquisitive, and intelligent sensibility compellingly to life ... A triumph; recommended for fans of poetry, women\'s studies, and contemporary literary fiction
Nickolas Butler
RaveLibrary JournalA beautifully realized meditation on the nature of parenting and living in a perplexing (and often cruel) world. Enthusiastically recommended for parents and fans of literary fiction.
James Charlesworth
PositiveLibrary JournalMay sound far-fetched, Charlesworth makes the psychological and emotional pain of these children very real ... A powerful debut novel for fans of literary fiction and with special import for fathers and soon-to-be fathers
Arif Anwar
RaveLibrary JournalAlthough historical events sweep into the characters\' lives in a variety of devastating ways, this is ultimately a celebration of family and the sustaining power of love. With a sprawling cast of vividly drawn characters, most of whom must negotiate a dizzying array of religious, economic, and national boundaries, this powerful and important debut is a story for our time ... Essential for fans of literary fiction.
