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Recent Reviews
James McBride
Rave Christian Science Monitor Triumphant ... The results are immersive, delightfully discursive – and thought-provoking.
Manuel Muñoz
Rave The Christian Science Monitor \"... the stories evoke the uneasy \'inbetweenness\' of lives that cross borders, as well as the power of small kindnesses amid daily struggles and doubts ... Throughout the collection, Muñoz’s writing quietly dazzles with its unforced, patient, and lyrical lines. His choice to weave several characters into multiple stories proves effective; the tactic builds a backstory and empathy ... These choices aren’t easy to confront; in some cases, they’re reprehensible – selfish, crass, debauched. But in the stories he tells, each individual receives the gift of consideration: These are lives as deserving of attention and grace as any other.\
Marlen Haushofer tr. Shaun Whiteside
Rave The Christian Science Monitor ... a survival story for grown-ups that’s as pulse-thumping as it is thought-provoking ... The novel has earned high praise over the decades, and continues to feel remarkably well-tuned to the concerns of the day ... The woman’s knotty relationship with the cat – and, later, her progeny – provides one of the book’s rich pleasures ... Haushofer chronicles the day-to-day hardships and feats of this unconventional quartet in one fell swoop: From first page until last nothing slows the narrative flow, neither chapter breaks nor white space. It’s a stylistic choice that befits the inescapable and unending demands of survival in a northern forest. Readers must decide when to take a break and a breath, although it’s tempting to power through, agog ... Haushofer takes her time describing these day-to-day efforts and the attendant, hard-fought progress. It’s engrossing reading. Page after page, it’s hard not to wonder, “\'What would I do in her shoes?\' ... Smoothly translated by Shaun Whiteside, the novel’s unadorned prose and minimal references to its particular era give it a timeless, meditative weight. The most vivid descriptions seem reserved for the power, threat, and beauty of the ever-present landscape ... What sets The Wall apart from other survival tales is the removal of the world beyond. While Haushofer never explains exactly what the barrier is, who made it, and why, the woman muses occasionally about its origins and implications. With no one around to convince but herself, the \'why\' becomes pointless. Besides, food must be cultivated and animals tended to ... Six decades later, The Wall continues to deliver a remarkable tale of determination that lingers long after its final page.
Clare Pooley
Rave Christian Science Monitor ... a buoyant, bright, occasionally brash novel that’s equal parts funny and poignant ... The fear of obsolescence creeps up on several characters in the book. How Iona overcomes its depressing tug and rediscovers her courage is one of the novel’s many highlights ... Fueled by well-paced subplots, Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting champions the community that can form when strangers take the plunge and start to talk. Inevitably, doors open, perspectives widen, and empathy blooms ... Indeed, by rotating readers through the thoughts, hopes, anxieties, and vanities of her diverse cast, Pooley explores the complicated lives under the façades they present – and the need to replace judgment with a willingness to allow others to reveal themselves.
Kelly Barnhill
Positive The Christian Science Monitor How the girls survive the conformist pressures and prejudices of their small-minded town would be sufficiently gripping thanks to Barnhill’s skills at developing complex, empathetic characters. Against the backdrop of increased dragoning episodes and their social havoc (particularly as the dragons mysteriously begin to return from wherever they went), the girls’ saga is ablaze with possibilities not typically available for land- and body-bound souls ... Barnhill’s poetic prose offers small delights amid the inevitable sorrows and injustices of the story...Also effective is her tactic of scattering transcripts, news articles, scholarship, and other documents throughout the narrative to propel the plot and cast a shimmer of veritas on the proceedings ... The book’s resolution is broad and hopeful — like the dragoned women who, curious and now confident, fly back to earth to see what they’ve missed and how they can help.
Gish Jen
Rave The Christian Science Monitor There are 11 [stories] here – insightful, wistful, nuanced – sometimes heartbreaking and often funny. Each tale packs in social commentary, political asides, and keen observations that lodge the characters in time and place like thumbtacks on a map. Even more satisfying, these very different women, men, and children get more than a moment in the sun ... Jen’s stories prove engrossing thanks to her polished prose and multifaceted characters. Equally riveting is the fearless way she dives into fraught, ripped-from-the headlines topics ... In this collection, Jen stares down history with a discerning eye, cracking wit and well-tuned words.
Ken Follett
Positive The Christian Science Monitor Follett’s tale proceeds to creep toward that edge via storylines that, at first, seem far-flung and unrelated ... A doorstop of a book at 800 pages, Follett’s story captivates but at times loses emotional steam. This is matter-of-fact writing that’s heavier on plot and pacing than on the characters’ interior lives ... readers may well rub their bulging eyes, sit back, and wholeheartedly agree.
Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton
Rave The Christian Science Monitor The high-stakes efforts to find the perpetrators and prevent subsequent violence, including an even larger plot on American soil, make for rapid reading. Ellen deftly proposes, plans, and pivots, while navigating a murky political landscape in Washington and icy relations with her counterparts in Pakistan, Iran, and Russia ... State of Terror pulses with the clever asides and turns of phrase that delight Penny’s fans (and there are surprise appearances to boot). But this is its own story. The writing duo’s well-crafted thriller doesn’t shy from profanity and sharp political stabs as it hurtles to its breathless finale.
Anthony Doerr
Rave The Christian Science Monitor Doerr delivers in a big way ... In some hands, this could have been a big mess. The good news: Doerr’s creation lifts off quickly, soars, and then, like the various wildfowl wheeling through the story, lands with practiced finesse ... Fueled by deep imagination and insistent compassion, Doerr weaves together his storylines with brisk pacing that never feels rushed. His characters struggle, search, and learn, mirroring the travels and trials of Aethon himself ... One of the joys of the novel is its vivid, energetic language ... Writing in the midst of pandemic and lockdown, Doerr, in the words of Aristophanes, has successfully created \'something big, smacking of the clouds.\'
Amy Belding Brown
Rave The Christian Science Monitor ... bold and terrifically appealing ... This love of place and ear for her characters’ turns of phrase makes for a rich reading experience. Her smartest choice: handing the narrative reins to Margaret herself, whose Tipperary-tinged voice guides—and warms—the story. It’s a perspective rife with honesty, humor, and sharp observations about class, immigration, and relationships ... The novel blends...facts and real-life characters with plausible but fictionalized subplots and settings pulled from the headlines of the era. By the end of this gratifying, intelligent tale, a variety of readers—from Emily Dickinson neophytes to students of her work—will leave with a more nuanced understanding of \'the myth of Amherst,\' as well as a deep appreciation for the \'wild and warm and mighty\' woman who stood by her side in life, enabling a legacy.
Mike Gayle
Rave Christian Science Monitor ... [a] winning new novel ... a frothy sitcom premise...quickly sails into rougher waters ... Gayle shares [characters\'] indignation, sadness, and anger in straightforward, unadorned prose. The simplicity is effective ... A late-story plot twist adds both tragedy and momentum to the tale, morphing it into a page-turner. The cinematic conclusion feels completely earned, leaving characters jubilant and forever changed.
Katherine Heiny
Rave The Christian Science Monitor The novel’s deft dialogue produces many of the book’s laughs ... Early Morning Riser closes with a literal cartwheel. It’s an exuberant and fitting finale. Grab the book and get up early, stretch out midday, or stay up late. This laugh-out-loud, good-humored tale is a head-over-heels delight.
Laura Imai Messina, Tr. by Lucy Rand
Rave The Christian Science Monitor ... [an] astonishment. And while Imai Messina’s quiet, contemplative, and gripping tale is fiction, the story ultimately has its feet – and its heart – planted firmly in reality ... Imai Messina’s story – musing on grief, hope, and joy – comes, then, at the perfect moment ... Imai Messina unfolds how Yui and Takeshi form a friendship of shared experience – and then navigate the trickier shoals of a deeper relationship – in lyrical, unrushed prose that avoids sentimentality ... These brief segments add rich detail to the novel without slowing down the storytelling ... Such characters, and such a setting, risk tipping the tale into a depressing bog. Yet Imai Messina, like her story’s powerful wind, pushes these individuals forward. They question, they consider, and they take fresh steps.