This novel isn't just one of the best I've read this year. It's in the top 10 that I've read in the past 5 years. The characters are salt-of-the-earth, the plot line is engaging, the writing is stunning, and I still think about the story even eight months after finishing it. Powner is at the top of her game with this novel and I can't recommend it highly enough.
For the first time in his life, Pete has everything to lose.
After years of drifting, fifty-year-old Pete Ryman has settled down with his potbellied pig, Pearl, in the small Montana town of Sleeping Grass--a place he never expected to see again. It's not the life he dreamed of, but there aren't many prospects for a high-school dropout like him.
Elderly widow Wilma Jacobsen carries a burden of guilt over her part in events that led to Pete leaving Sleeping Grass decades ago. Now that he's back, she's been praying for the chance to make things right, but she never…
I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into when I started this novel. What convinced me to read it was the stunning cover and the glowing endorsement from Maggie O'Farrell. But as soon as I read the first page, I knew I was going to enjoy the ride. This novel is reminiscent of Shirley Jackson, but has a vibe all its own and I couldn't put it down. I became so absorbed into the story that I forgot I was reading. That's the sign of a good author. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys gothic, creepy, unique fiction.
In the tradition of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, a darkly humorous modern classic of Scottish literature about a doomed adolescent growing up in the mid-19th century—featuring a new introduction by Maggie O’Farrell, award-winning author of Hamnet.
Janet lies murdered beneath the castle stairs, attired in her mother’s black lace wedding dress, lamented only by her pet jackdaw…
Author Elspeth Barker masterfully evokes the harsh climate of Scotland in this atmospheric gothic tale that has been compared to the works of the Brontës, Edgar Allan Poe, and Edward Gorey. Immersed in a world of isolation and…
I actually read this novel twice this year (which is rare for me). The first time I read it for the story. The second time was to see how Emma Healey expertly pieced together a narrative told from the perspective of an elderly woman suffering from dementia. My copy is full of highlighted passages and notes in the margins. Reading it was not only an emotional and intense experience, it was a masterclass in constructing plot. Readers who enjoy a slow burn will want to read this novel at least once.
NOW A MAJOR BBC DRAMA A SUNDAY TIMES TOP FIVE BESTSELLER
How do you solve a mystery when you can't remember the clues?
Maud is forgetful. She makes a cup of tea and doesn't remember to drink it. She goes to the shops and forgets why she went. Sometimes her home is unrecognizable - or her daughter Helen seems a total stranger.
But there's one thing Maud is sure of: her friend Elizabeth is missing. The note in her pocket tells her so. And no matter who tells her to stop going on about it, to leave it alone, to…
In this 1950s coming-of-age story, two sisters are left reeling when their father is accused of being a member of the Communist party. Bertha finds a haven with the All-American Girls Baseball League. Flossie finds herself in an unexpected friendship. Both are about to discover how much good there is in the world--even in the hardest of circumstances.
