Controversies in the world of literature and articles on authors and their books.
The Jilted Countess by Loretta Ellsworth is the story of an American GI named Joe and an aristocratic ballet dancer named Roza. They meet druing World War II and have a love affair. Joe promises he will marry Roza if she comes to Minnesota after the war. After saving up for two years, Roza arrives in the U.S. only to find that Joe is now
It is always interesting and informative to read a book set in another country. I have come across several books lately set in distant lands, and I thought the following four might appeal to you. I haven’t read any of them, but I will try to give enough information on each so you can decide for yourself. The Butterfly Thief by Walter Marsh is a
The Power and the Glory–Jonathan Wilson Even if you are not a soccer fan, you have surely been seeing articles surrounding the World Cup coming up this summer and how expensive the tickets are. I certainly cannot comment on that specific topic exept to say that I would not go to it unless I had a grandson playing in a game!! But the book featured
First of all, literary fiction is a genre used by publishers and book stores to classify books. I have heard people say, “oh, this is just a ‘beach read’” or “this book is so depressing.” Well, in a way, one could say that literary fiction IS very serious—deep ideas, complicated characters, and themes that explore the human condition. And, no. The story doesn’t always have
Try reading some of Tim Sullivan’s books. Sullivan is also a screenwriter and director. He is perhaps best known, however, for his series of books about a detective named George Cross. Sullivan says he wanted to create a character who was good at his job mainly because of his neurodivergence. Even though George Cross is sometimes awkward, he is able to tackle a case from
So many books, as I have noted, dwell on a horrifyingly possible future or horrifying things that have happened in the past or horrifying things that are happening now. In case you want to read something that makes you feel good, I have a few suggestions, most of which I have read!! I just finished reading The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans. It is one of
I have a friend who doesn’t think a person should write a memoir unless that person is old. “A twenty-something hasn’t earned the right to write a memoir,” she says. “They aren’t old enough. They haven’t lived their entire life yet.” She has a point, however, plenty of people write memoirs before they are old. Jen Hatmaker, an author and podcaster, wrote Awake after a
The man in the picture above is Calvin Duncan. I can’t believe he is smiling after all he has been through. At age 19, he was wrongfully imprisoned for 28 years at a Louisana Prison. While in prison, he studied law and began to help himself and other inmates file appeals and motions for procedural improvements. The woman in the picture is Stephanie Cull. She
Patrick Ryan has written a book that New York Times reviewer Jess Walter calls an old-fashioned American novel. That book is Buckeye, and the publisher has really hyped this novel set in a fictional town in Ohio. From all accounts, Buckeye lives up to its promise–well worth reading and more than. The author introduces us to two families brought together by the war and then
The first father is Arthur Candlewick. He and his family live a privileged life in the Cotswolds. After suffering a near-death experience, Arthur decides to give away all of his worldly goods. The book follows him and his family as they deal with this very unexpected turn of events. Next, we have Vic Kemp, a famous artist who has just moved to an Italian villa,
