|
| Here are this month's UNCHAINED CHOICES selected for you by Inkwood's booksellers
| THE BOOK OF NIGHT WOMEN by MARLON JAMES - “A brilliant work of art from a truly gifted and inspired writer, The Book of Night Women is set on a Jamaican sugar plantation at the end of the eighteenth century, and centers around the life of Lilith, a young woman born into slavery. As Lilith comes of age, she finds herself drawn into the fold of a group of women revolutionaries, plotting to overthrow white slaveholders and claim independence for Jamaica. Lilith gets caught up in the angry passion of revolution, but her unexpected love for a white overseer complicates her zeal for freedom and revenge. This is a beautiful story of a girl who desires nothing more than to leave behind the complexities of race and live as a human being, as a free woman.” Amanda. Regularly $16; our price $12.80.
|
BRAVA VALENTINE by ADRIANA TRIGIANI – “Trigiani’s follow-up to Very Valentine once again features the unstoppable Valentine Roncalli, an Italian-American shoemaker in Manhattan. Valentine rises to meet the challenges of bringing her family’s century-old handmade wedding shoe business into the twentieth century, deal with her grandmother’s remarriage and move to Italy, and juggling her own love affair with a handsome, but older, Italian man. Valentine is a feisty, compelling character. This is no fluffy chick lit, but an honest look at what it takes to be a thirty-something woman and balance your dreams with your responsibilities. I eagerly look forward to the next installment. Brava to Adriana Trigiani for this series! Regularly $25.99; our price $20.79. 9780061257070 HarperCollins. |
| A DAY, A NIGHT, AND A DAY by GLEN DUNCAN - "I don't know what to say about this book, but it is one of the most challenging books I have read in years. Pushing the reader to consider what it means to be human, to be moral, in the world today. Duncan tells a story that, on the surface, with the love story between Augustus and Selina, could sound sentimental ,or with the torturer- terrorist relationship, could sound like a mass market thriller, and instead he has crafted a flawlessly written story, as impossible to put down as it is to forget. Like his Death of an Ordinary Man, this novel is honest and unflinching in the way it examines the devastation of grief and loss, and how we decide to live in the midst of it all. I loved this book, and I have grown from reading it." Leslie. Regularly $13.99; our price $11.19.
| FOREST GATE by PETER AKINTI - "On top of twin tower blocks in the Forest Gate projects of East London, James and Ashvin stand poised, nooses around their necks, to leave behind an unforgiving world, to make a stand and escape their fates while they still have the power to do so. But when James survives, he is forced to find the strength within himself and others to make a new life. Told primarily by Ashvin's sister, Meina, this is a beautiful story of loss, love, reconciliation and resilience. Forest Gate is a wonderful debut by a truly gifted and insightful writer." Amanda. Regularly $14; our price $11.20.
| THE GIRL WHO FELL FROM THE SKY by HEIDE W. DURROW – “This debut novel is the winner of the 2008 Bellwether Prize for best fiction manuscript addressing issues of social justice, which unfortunately sounds like a dry textbook assigned in school. However this astonishing novel is anything but. Apparently inspired by a real event, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is the story of Rachel, a biracial daughter who is the sole survivor of a family tragedy. Durrow works magic with each of the character's voices, and as the haunting story unfolds we learn both secrets and answers. Part love story, part mystery, this is an unforgettable portrait of a young woman confronting prejudices of class, race, and even beauty, as she struggles to survive. This is a book you hold to your heart.” Leslie. Regularly $22.95; our price $18.36.
| | LITTLE BEE by CHRIS CLEAVE - “The less you know about Little Bee to start off with the better, since what the book is about and what it will mean to you after you’ve read it are two different things. Through the eyes of Little Bee, an illegal immigrant in England, we are witness to the dangerous and often tragic experiences of refugees. An incredibly important and relevant novel, you can expect to be enlightened, disgusted and inspired by Cleave’s lovely prose. Little Bee’s story will haunt you long after you’ve turned the last page.” Amanda. Regularly $14; our price $11.20.
| |
PICKING COTTON: OUR MEMOIR OF INJUSTICE AND REDEMPTION by JENNIFER THOMPSON-CANNINO and RONALD COTTON – “No fiction writer could have created characters better suited to living and telling this story. In alternating voices, we hear from Jennifer, a white woman who was raped while in college, and Ronald, the black man she identified as her attacker. After 11 years in prison, never giving in to self-pity or bitterness, Ronald is finally set free when his innocence is proven by DNA evidence and Jennifer unflinchingly takes responsibility for her horrible mistake. Now close friends, they are partners in spreading the word about the fallibility of eyewitness testimony.” Carla. Regularly $14.99; our price $11.99. 9780312599539 MacMillan Publishing Services. | PIRATE LATITUDES by MICHAEL CRICHTON – “Found as a completed manuscript after his death, Pirate Latitudes hearkens back to Crichton's earlier historical works such as The Great Train Robbery and Eaters of the Dead. This posthumous thriller follows Captain Hunter, a crafty 'privateer,' as he and his swashbuckling crew set out for a bloody adventure on the high seas in search of, you guessed it, treasure. As educational as it is exciting, the gritty world of 17th century piracy is brought to life as Hunter and his crew set out to plunder the impregnable Spanish fortress of Matanceros. A fresh wind in the sails of pirate literature, Latitudes will have you turning pages faster than you can walk the plank.” Christian. Regularly $27.99; our price $22.39.
| PRINCESS HYACINTH: THE SURPRISING TALE OF A GIRL WHO FLOATED by FLORENCE PARRY HEIDE – “As a former little girl who dreamed of being a princess, this fanciful and charming book appeals to me on many levels. This is the tale of Princess Hyacinth, whose onus in life is that she floats and can not play with the other children in her kingdom. She must spend her days weighed down by jewels and tied down by seatbelts, watching the other children out of her window, until one day she has an adventure that changes her life. Beautifully illustrated and an enchanting story, this is a timeless children’s book.” Avery. Regularly $17.99; our price $14.39.
| A RELIABLE WIFE by ROBERT GOOLRICK - “This debut novel, set in the early 1900s, is a beautifully written psychological mystery, almost gothic at times. Advertising for “a reliable wife”, Ralph Truitt, wealthy businessman, gets more than he realizes when Catherine Land steps off the train. Secrets on top of secrets, all revealed in Goolrick’s lyrical prose, this is a beautiful examination of love and regret.” Leslie. Regularly $14.95; our price $11.96.
| |
VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX by MAGGIE O’FARRELL – “Iris Lockhart is a young London vintage shop owner with the usual relationship and money issues, on her own with no family but a grandmother with dementia – or so she thinks. When an asylum is shut down, she is suddenly legally responsible for her never-mentioned great aunt Esme, confined 60 years ago at age 16 for reasons that seem spurious. Esme’s perceived offenses parallel Iris’ own eccentricities, and as their tender relationship slowly evolves the family secrets are revealed. This heartbreaking story is beautifully written and will haunt you long after the quietly surprising ending.” Carla. Regularly $14; our price $11.20.
| WHERE THE GOD OF LOVE HANGS OUT by AMY BLOOM – “Billed as short stories, this reads like two novellas, following two sets of characters over several years, even decades, with another four freestanding stories to fill out the book. One set follows a middle-aged couple from their friendship to affair then through marriage and illness; the other concerns a stepmother and grown stepson from his father’s death on for decades. I consider Bloom the hands-down best woman writing short stories today – see for example A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You – and I am happily just as fond of these longer studies of complex characters in complicated relationships.” Carla. Regularly $25; our price $20.
|
|
