The most recommended books about a widower

Not necessarily a fan of Westerns, I loved this original story.

Set in post-Civil War, eastern Texas, an unlikely hero, Jefferson Kyle Kidd is enjoined to return a young white girl, rescued from Indians, to living relatives. Initially reluctant, Kidd commits himself to his mission regardless of challenge.

I love it when I find myself there in a story. I found myself swallowed by the challenges they faced, my attention (and tension) rising with each one. I also love it when I find myself rooting for the characters as I did with this believable story.

Though there is action, I loved that it was Kidd’s quick-witted intelligence (and that of the girl) that set the story apart.

This Thing Between Us is a strange, mesmerizing, and oddly funny story about one man’s grief and how it leads to an invasive, evil force penetrating our world from the beyond. In part, it’s a haunted house story, but the ghost is in the machine—specifically a smart speaker named “Itza,” which is Moreno’s version of Alexa. I had the idea to a write a haunted house novel in which the house is haunted by a computer, but Gus beat me to it, and did it ten times better than I could have. You won’t read anything like this one, I promise. 

I’ve always believed that reading can change the world, or at least my part of it. This book proved this to me as it wove seemingly unconnected lives together. Grief, anger, sadness, and loneliness all fall away when they begin reading and talking about the stories.

This book reminded me of sitting on the floor at the back of my town’s library. It reminded me of what it’s like to travel across time and around the world with just a book spread out on my lap. 

I love the idea that books have souls, and I adore this quotation from Zafon’s classic novel: “Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it.”

I was thrilled to find this novel after I’d written my book because it shows that there are others who sense the soulful quality of old books. I also love it because it is written by a Spanish novelist, and it is in the Spanish-speaking world that we find the true literary origins of my most-loved genre of writing – magical realism.

Don’t read this if you were ever afraid of being alone when you were a kid. If I had read this novel late into the night, I would’ve been calling the police when the fridge hummed.

The poem reminded me of wendigo stories and all the crazy urban legends I believed growing up. Who likes hearing whispers from someone unknown anyway? The atmosphere is so realistic, and the suspense kept my brain churning with fear.

Then there’s the characterization. I wanted to reach through the book and scream at the father and son, “Look out! Pay attention!” Honestly, I had more sympathy for Jake than the father. What’s not to love about a child who has imaginary friends? I had one. It made me wonder if mine was a ghost.

Sometimes, a book comes into your life at a time you precisely need it. For me, this was The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

This book captured my attention for many reasons: it’s set in a bookstore, in a remote location and involves the power of books to change lives. Yet as it evolves, it also reminds us that we never know fully what our story really is.

I loved how the main character discovers life through the eyes of a child abandoned in his store, and the child in turn uncovers life through books. It’s an uplifting, heartfelt, humorous story that kept me cheering for the characters through every chapter.

This was a new author for me, and she hooked me within the first few chapters. I didn't realize I was reading the second book in the series first, but it didn't matter.

She writes like a Criminal Minds episode. There were so many twists and turns. I kept trying to guess the bad guy and failed! It was downright psychologically scary. I loved the biblical elements woven throughout. It wasn't so gruesome that I wouldn't want to share this book with my daughter or other family members.

I love a great psychological thriller, and this had all the feels and checked all the boxes, even more boxes that I realized I enjoyed! Now, whenever I see Patch's name on a book, I know I'll have to read it! 

Winter’s Orbit has one of the sweetest romances I’ve read thus far. The characters have trauma to work through and they do so beautifully. I love how broken Jainan is and how he discovers he’s worthy of love. The push and pull between him and Kiem was masterful! Raw. Compelling. And it’s set against a backdrop of a galactic-level political mystery! (But honestly, I read it for the romance.)

The book deals movingly with the issues around historic child sex abuse in the Catholic church in Ireland. Barry said his period as Laureate for Irish Fiction (2019–2021) stopped him from “thinking about himself” as a writer and gave him a sense of “a public role,” which ultimately opened the door to him taking on this enormously challenging subject matter.

The novel tells the story of retired policeman Tom Kettle, who is grappling with the darkness of his past. It is a beautifully written novel that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Barry skillfully conceives ways of telling the story that ensure he only reveals what he wants you to know at that moment, leaving space for plenty of twists and shocks as the novel progresses.

The Quiet Game introduces a troubled Penn Cage, who returns with his daughter to his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi when his father lands in trouble. For Penn, family is sacrosanct. Iles uses Natchez brilliantly to support characterization, atmosphere, and plot. Events unfold quickly in a series of twists and turns that thrill the reader and severely test Penn as he struggles to unearth his father’s connection to a horrific Natchez mystery that the town is determined to keep buried. I admire how Penn battles relentlessly on behalf of his father, doggedly pursues a truth that frightens him, and protects his daughter in the face of growing condemnation and danger. He hews to his moral compass even when it would be expedient to abandon it.