In “The Secrets We Kept,” Lara Prescott unfolds a little-known, Cold War story about Boris Pasternak’s “Doctor Zhivago.” It’s historical fiction that’s entertaining, with a colorful cast of characters.
Tag: book review
A powerful memoir that reverses time
In "The Photographer at Sixteen," British poet and translator George Szirtes recalls his mother's turbulent life during World War II, the Hungarian Revolution and her final years in England. It's impressive and captivating.
A Soviet spy in 1938 Germany
A secret agent's diary written in the days leading up to World War II finds its way to upstate New York in 1988 in this compelling new spy novel by David Downing.
The evolution of Dr. Francine Burk
Audrey Schulman’s new novel “Theory of Bastards” tells the story of a compelling research celebrity, the bonobos she’s observing and a catastrophic technology breakdown. An innovative story that slowly builds into an absorbing reading experience.
The art of restitution and deception
Mark Sarvas’s novel "Memento Park" tells the story of a Hungarian painting that was traded to the Nazis during World War II in exchange for freedom, and of its return to the rightful owner.
Why “Black Boy” still matters
Published in 1945, Richard Wright's classic childhood autobiography vividly reveals what it was like growing up black and poor in the Jim Crow South long before the Civil Rights Movement. It’s an unsentimental but moving and distressing travel back in time that should not be missed.
The power of love and conscience
If you’re looking for a novel to get lost in or for a holiday gift, here’s a recommendation: “Paris in the Present Tense” by Mark Helprin.
This unhappy Greek family
In Colm Tóibín’s new novel, the Greek tragedy of Agamemnon’s murder by wife Clytemnestra is told with great power and vivid imagining. Here’s what you can expect.
Portrait of an unsuspecting woman
The best part of this blog post is Jonathan Evison's acknowledgement to the women in his life, those who inspired him to create his protagonist in this darkly humorous novel, "This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance!" What a great tribute. Also, a look at the story.
The sound of youth loving youth
Here's an entertaining novel that's about friendship, art school and the harsh reality of the working world that lies in wait after graduation. Author Rachel B. Glaser writes with wit and smart one-liners that make this a funny story; however, this isn't what you might expect in a story about friendship.
It’s the economy, stupid
Karen E. Bender's story collection focuses on the burden of money in everyday life. Her upbeat tone brings a colorful quality to a theme that otherwise would be overbearing. A good collection, now a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction.
A compulsively readable debut
Bill Clegg's new novel is getting a lot of attention, and it should. Here's what it's about, from a review recorded for broadcast on WOSU 89.7 fm.
They couldn’t find Mick
This is a moving first novel, "The Given World," by Marian Palaia. It takes place during the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's in the life of a woman whose brother goes missing in the Vietnam War. Palaia perfectly captures how the war changed the lives of the loved ones back home.
A woman who never compromised
Florence Gordon is this novel's unforgettable female protagonist, a 75-year-old New Yorker whose family arrives in the city and brings with it some messy issues. Her name is the book's title, and she's an inspiration -- not only for the novel's characters, but also for readers.
Reading the second novel before the first
This is a review of Bruce Holbert's new, second novel, "The Hour of Lead," and why I wish I'd read his debut, "Lonesome Animals," first.
