[title subtitle=”RECOMMENDATIONS courtesy Bookish”][/title]
Five must-read book recommendations for book lovers of all ages, from our friends at Bookish, Fort Smith, Arkansas’s only independently owned bookstore.
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett
Patchett can do no wrong in our eyes. And somehow she has managed to run a beautiful bookstore in Nashville while writing this dark fairy tale that spans five decades. Danny and Maeve are siblings thrown from their wealth back into the poverty their parents had seemingly escaped from. This is another gorgeous look into the lives of “regular” people that digs deep into questions of inheritance, forgiveness, love, and how we see ourselves.
The Other’s Gold
by Elizabeth Ames
In this debut, we have a tale as old as time. Four college friends from varying backgrounds forge a bond that spans into adulthood. What Ames does so well is show us the complexities of female friendship. When the decisions we make influence our adult lives and those around us. You will be thinking about the relationships you – the reader – have made with Lainey, Ji Sun, Alice, and Margaret for hours, or days, after you read the last page.
Ask Again, Yes
by Mary Beth Keane
Keane masterfully captures the delicate relationships that make up our lives in this debut novel about neighboring families and the crisis that tears some of them apart while bringing some of them closer. What is forgiveness? What is friendship? And most interesting is the connection between parent and child as they delve into how that relationship changes in the face of tragedy and as the child comes into her own.
The World That We Knew
by Alice Hoffman
Hoffman uses magical realism and fairy tale structure to highlight the intricacy of humanity’s darkest hour. A Jewish mother works to save her twelve-year-old daughter, Lea, from the Nazi regime through Jewish mysticism. The daughter of a rabbi creates a golem who is sworn to protect Lea. The pair travels all over France waiting for the moment each girl can become who she is destined to be.
A Better Man
by Louise Penny
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is back on the job as head of homicide. As flood waters rise, a father approaches Gamache in desperate need of help finding his daughter. Gamache’s empathy takes charge and mistakes are made. With each mystery, Penny sends her readers into darker, more complex places. Gamache is certainly flawed, but readers are able to relate to his motivations, especially when it comes to our children.
Note: Bookish has signed copies of this book and it comes with a free gift while supplies last!