The Wager captivated me. I love nonfiction that has great detail, sharp storytelling, and a sense of moving forward throughout.
The story of the ship’s harrowing journey (and end) in the 1740s reveals the author’s knowledge of historical setting, ability to use varied viewpoints to personalize events, and skill with pacing.
I will never forget (though I wish I could) learning practices of the day, such as jettisoning any live animals on board before a ship went into battle. As to the shipwreck’s aftermath, I cannot fathom the courage it took to live each day in such dire conditions.
The story comes from the journals of crew members, so the reader learns what both the captain and the men thought. There are no heroes, just people trying to survive.
'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I've ever read' Guardian
'The greatest sea story ever told' Spectator
'A cracking yarn... Grann's taste for desperate predicaments finds its fullest expression here' Observer
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER
From the international bestselling author of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON and THE LOST CITY OF Z, a mesmerising story of shipwreck, mutiny and murder, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth.
On 28th January 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the…
Lessons in Chemistry made me think of my mother. The story was good, the writing was good, but I kept thinking of Mom, going to college with two, three, and then four kids at home. I think of my dad as well, who supported Mom’s dream of becoming a teacher financially, as loco parentis(he was a farmer, so he was at home); and socially, though a few locals hinted he wanted his wife to support him.
I watched Mom struggle through the prejudices of the time, but I was a kid then, and Mom was Mom. Reading Garmus’ book put her struggle into perspective for me, so I can see what a brave thing it was for her to ride the bus with me to school every day.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, GoodReads
"A unique heroine ... you'll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional." —Seattle Times…
I think of some authors as sink-into-the-writing types, and Kate Morton is one of them. I like the stories, I like her writing style, and I like the way things work out in the end. Even when it’s sad, it’s satisfying.
In The Homecoming, the puzzle at the beginning is intriguing enough to fuel the rest of the book, and the resolution reached at the end brings satisfaction. People make mistakes, but life goes on, and someday, an explanation will bring resolution. I treasure authors who create that feeling of what I call “comfort reading.“ It’s what I try to do in my own stories. Relax, reader; it will all be okay in the end.
'Captivating . . . a sweeping yet intimate tale of motherhood and belonging, loss and longing' - Mail on Sunday
'It is a treat; it is a big deep dive, twisty turny yarn. It is fantastic' - Graham Norton, broadcaster and bestselling author of Home Stretch
From the bestselling author of The Clockmaker's Daughter, Kate Morton, comes a breathtaking mystery of love, lies and a cold case come back to life, told with her trademark intricacy and beauty.
Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959. At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek in the grounds of a grand…
Sister Saint, Sister Sinner takes readers to suspenseful places, raises questions about what’s “right,” and perhaps leads to an examination of our own family ties.
The story focuses on three women raised on a Michigan farm. As adults, they grew apart, but new experiences test their commitment to each other. Nettie pleads guilty to a murder she refuses to explain. Ruth’s husband decides to run for President. Kim deals with her husband’s abandonment. When events send her to Washington, D.C., she is reacquainted with the sisters she idolized as a kid.
Truths are uncovered, but as Nettie says, “Sometimes, all you can give to the people you love is a lie.”
