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| When I'm Gone, Look for Me in the East by Quan BarryStarring: Identical twin brothers -- Tibetan novice monk Chuluun and his estranged brother, Mun -- traverse Mongolia's harsh terrain, seeking a reincarnation of the unifying spiritual leader known as the lama.
Read it for: A luminous meditation on the challenges of faith, fate, and brotherhood (in literal and metaphysical senses).
Want a taste? "After just a few hours in the July light, the skin around my wrist is already somewhat paler than the rest of me, though like the planets and the summer sun, nothing is permanent." |
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| What the Fireflies Knew by Kai HarrisWhat it's about: Ten-year-old Kenyatta (KB) and teen sister Nia must spend the summer with their estranged grandfather after tragic family losses. KB's love of reading provides solace while left largely on her own to cope with grief, family secrets, and the neighbors' not-so-subtle racism.
Why you'll love it: You'll be cheering on this novel's sympathetic, believable young protagonist from page one. Set during the mid-1980s, What the Fireflies Knew delivers a memorable, moving own voices coming-of-age story.
For fans of: Jessmyn Ward's Sing Unburied Sing. |
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| None But the Righteous by Chantal JamesWhat happens: In the wake of post-Katrina New Orleans, 19-year-old Ham seeks his foster mother Miss Pearl, who took him in as a rebellious 11-year-old. His journey unfolds in a lush, atmospheric, and nonlinear narrative.
The twist: Tired of Ham's disruptive childhood ways, Miss Pearl gifts him with a locket containing the spirit of a Dominican priest that guides him through life -- although perhaps not always in the best ways.
Want a taste? "I know that we do not belong only to ourselves, that what loves us also seizes us." |
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| Very Cold People by Sarah MangusoStarring: Ruthie -- the child of a Jewish mother and an Italian father --comes of age in small-town Massachusetts, where long-time residents are class-conscious and deeply insular.
Will she make it? Ruthie narrates a lifetime of family dysfunction and sexual trauma. At first convinced that she is undeserving of anything more, she gradually gains a sense of autonomy and a desperate will to escape. |
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| Wildcat by Amelia MorrisWhat it's about: Aspiring writer Leanne now faces all the usual exhausting tasks of mothering a newborn. However, the spirit of Leanne's recently deceased dad tips her off that her so-called "best friend" Regina is actually a sabotaging backstabber. Leanne is not having it: she pursues revenge via social media, and it is brutal.
Read it for: New-mama drama with offbeat wit and a sardonic edge. |
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| The Swimmers by Julie OtsukaIn the deep end: Due to structural damage, a group of swimmers lose access to the pool that has been their long-time haven.
What happens: Although often told from multiple perspectives, the narrative returns repeatedly to the character Anna -- a Japanese American woman whose dementia progresses too fast for reconciliation with her adult daughter.
Critics say: "The combination of social satire with an intimate portrait of loss and grief is stylistically ambitious and deeply moving" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Men in My Situation by Per PettersonFamiliar face, new loss: The character Arvid Jansen, well-known in the author's native Norway, returns in a powerful stand-alone novel. Still grieving the tragic shipboard deaths of his parents and brothers, Arvid now faces the end of his 15-year marriage
A daughter's need... is all that keeps Arvid's head above water in this melancholy, moving story of a father's second act.
For fans of: Wallander (either the TV series or the novels they inspired). Although not a police procedural, Petterson's novel centers on a similarly relatable, brooding lead character with complex and often troubled family relationships.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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