I’ve always believed in magic, the kind that’s just around the corner, out of view. I loved books and libraries. So, it was no surprise that I became a teacher, and later, a poet and novelist. Now, as the author of four novels, I want my books to capture what I love best from poetry and teaching: beautiful, unexpected language, a touch of wonder, and themes that probe the big questions of life. A library shows up in most of my novels along with a bit of the fantastic.
Wow. The voice in this book takes my breath away. I’ve never read anything else quite like it.
There’s a plot full of adventure, tragedy, and healing, but mostly, there is Rueben Land and his sister Swede, two of the most compelling characters in literature. The story begins with a miracle when Rueben’s father commands his newly stillborn son to breathe.
Questions about miracles, hope, faith, and redemption pepper the story with no easy answers, again asking: What does it mean to be human? That’s a question all great literature grapples with.
When Israel Finch and Tommy Basca, the town bullies, break into the home of school caretaker Jeremiah Land, wielding a baseball bat and looking for trouble, they find more of it than even they expected. For seventeen-year-old Davey is sitting up in bed waiting for them with a Winchester rifle. His younger brother Reuben has seen their father perform miracles, but Jeremiah now seems as powerless to prevent Davey from being arrested for manslaughter, as he has always been to ease Reuben's daily spungy struggle to breathe. Nor does brave and brilliant nine-year-old Swede, obsessed as she is with the…
What’s a better family secret than a golem tasked with protecting the main character?
Set against World War II in France, remarkable characters that I rooted for faced unspeakable odds. The book is a testament to what makes us human: The power of love and redemption. The golem, Ava, is a fully fleshed character with her own character arc.
'Oh, what a book this is! Hoffman's exploration of the world of good and evil, and the constant contest between them, is unflinching; and the humanity she brings to us - it is a glorious experience. The book builds and builds, as she weaves together, seamlessly, the stories of people in the most desperate of circumstances - and then it delivers with a tremendous punch. It opens up the world ... in a way that is absolutely unique. By the end you may be weeping' Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive…
Everything about this literary novel captures my imagination, from the beautiful language to the quirky characters and atmospheric setting. It feels as if I’ve stepped into a fairytale with a mystery at the heart of it: a mysterious child has shown up at the local pub, and as the book unspools, we discover the secrets of the town and eventually the secret of the missing girl.
The Armstrongs, Daunt, and Rita are characters as real as any people I know. Part of me still stays in the village of Radcot and wants to share stories at the local pub, The Swan.
From the instant #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “eerie and fascinating” (USA TODAY) The Thirteenth Tale comes a “swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful” (Madeline Miller, internationally bestselling author of Circe) novel about how we explain the world to ourselves, ourselves to others, and the meaning of our lives in a universe that remains impenetrably mysterious.
On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his…
I love books where magic infuses the everyday world.
Ava Lavender is born with wings. That’s only one thing that sets her apart and makes her life difficult. She is the third generation of women in her family who are doomed in love. Like most that I love, this story asks what it means to be human, how we can protect those we love, and how we balance the need for freedom with safety.
No, neat conclusion at the end. Beautiful prose and unexpected metaphors fill this book. I’m a sucker for a good metaphor.
A mesmerizing, lyrical tale of the bright and dark sides of love and desire. First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology that "follows Ava Lavender's discovery of her one-of-a-kind self" (Teen Vogue).
Shortlisted for the 2015 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize, Leslye Walton's stunning debut novel is "rich with lyrical and whimsical writing" (Kiera Cass, New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series). Magical realism is woven through this generational saga, creating a narrative reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, with a taste of Chocolat by Joanne Harris.
Foolish love appears to be a Roux family birthright.…
This is a big, sprawling tale, much longer than I usually read, about generations of one family in Kerela, India and I didn’t want it to end.
I loved the immersive setting and the chance to learn more about Indian culture. I loved the characters, especially Big Ammachi, but each character is fully drawn and relatable.
The family curse, The Condition, afflicts people in each generation, often causing death by drowning. This adds a bit of mystery and wonder to a story that is already chockful of wonder and, despite tragedy, never deviates from hope.
OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SUBJECT OF A SIX-PART SUPER SOUL PODCAST SERIES HOSTED BY OPRAH WINFREY
From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret
“One of the best books I’ve read in my entire life. It’s epic. It’s transportive . . . It was unputdownable!”—Oprah Winfrey, OprahDaily.com
The Covenant of Water is the long-awaited new novel by Abraham Verghese, the author of…
In 1955, fourteen-year-old Molly worries about school, friends, and her parents’ failed marriage, but mostly about her mother’s growing depression. Molly knows her mother, Elaine, is nursing a carefully kept secret. In 1918 New York, fourteen-year-old Elaine tries to survive on the streets after the flu pandemic while caring for her younger brother, Stephen.
The two stories collide when Uncle Stephen performs a miracle, and Molly digs into her mother’s past. She discovers a secret hidden in her mother’s dresser dating to 1918—a secret that could destroy or save their future. This book is a redemption story about hope, the bonds of family, and how wonder shows up in unexpected places with a retelling of Hansel & Gretel between the chapters.
In this book set against the backdrop of a changing America, Sarah must find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past and come to terms with her future. Sarah, a young woman from the rural town of Tolerance, Arkansas, has endured an impoverished and painful childhood.
But now, as the innocence of the 1950s transforms into the turbulent 1960s, Sarah must find the strength to overcome her traumas, forgive those who have wronged her, and discover her true self. With its moving and often disturbing narrative, A Sparrow Falls is an evocative account of a young woman's journey…
A moving, sometimes disturbing, beautifully written book...Amazon Customer Review Set in Arkansas as the innocence of the 1950s morphs into the turbulent ‘60s, A Sparrow Falls is an evocative account of a young woman emerging from an impoverished and traumatic childhood as she finds the inner strength to overcome her past. Te ghosts of the past and come to terms with her future is in the strength to forgive those who have wronged her? Content Advisory: This book is intended for mature audiences and contains child sexual abuse and disturbing imagery.
