Reviews by Joan R. (Chicago, IL)

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Day
Day: A Novel
by Michael Cunningham
A Book about Expectations Fulfilled and Unfulfilled (10/9/2023)
My husband and I read this book together, and it generated a number of thoughtful discussions between us. It is a book to read slowly, not only to savor the writing, but also to think about the themes presented. The book is organized in three parts each involving one day, …more
This Other Eden
This Other Eden: A Novel
by Paul Harding
A Masterpiece! (1/20/2023)
This novel tells of a horrifying incident in our Nation's history with great lyricism and humanity. We are given the facts immediately so we know what's coming. It is not an easy story to read, and many parts are shocking, but the narrative voice treats the main characters …more
Scatterlings
Scatterlings: A Novel
by Resoketswe Martha Manenzhe
A Timely Novel for our Multi-Cultural World (10/12/2022)
This is a novel that captures the complexity and contradictions of South Africa at a pivotal moment in its history. Set in 1927, the Immorality Act has just been passed which prohibits sexual relations between the races. We follow one family as it deals with the effects of …more
The Latinist
The Latinist: A Novel
by Mark Prins
An Excellent Debut Novel (10/21/2021)
This is an extraordinary debut novel. I was quickly swept into the world of classic studies at Oxford with all its intrigues. Many themes of ancient texts -- obsession, ambition, passion and intrigue --- are deftly handled with characters as complicated as Odysseus. I found …more
Ariadne
Ariadne
by Jennifer Saint
Outstanding novel. (3/19/2021)
I was swept into this novel's ancient world before I had finished the Prologue and stayed there, mesmerized, until the conclusion. Ariadne and her sister Phaedra, daughters of King Minos, tell their story in prose so beautiful that if borders on poetry. Their story is …more
The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World
The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World: A Novel
by Laura Imai Messina
A Book for our Pandemic Times (1/5/2021)
This book tells a gentle and powerful story that is still with me days after finishing it. Set in Japan after the 2011 tsunami, it centers around a real phone booth with an unconnected phone in a Japanese garden. According to an introductory note, every year thousands come …more
D-Day Girls
D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II
by Sarah Rose
An Extraordinary Story (3/26/2019)
This book engaged me from page one, immersing me into its world immediately. That world is WWII before D-Day as lived by a group of female undercover spies in France. Their stories border on unbelievable and yet...they are true. The author has meticulously researched her …more
Sounds Like Titanic
Sounds Like Titanic: A Memoir
by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman
A Thought-Provoking Memoir for Our Time (1/2/2019)
This memoir is an excellent choice for book clubs. The questions explored by the author as she reflects on her upbringing and stint as a violinist who pretends to perform in front of live audiences are ones that we may ask at some time in our lives. For example, what do you …more
The House of Broken Angels
The House of Broken Angels
by Luis Alberto Urrea
A Big-Hearted Story of the Ties that Bind a Family (3/1/2018)
I found this novel stunning and hard to put down. Urrea places the reader in the middle of a large extended immigrant family from Mexico as they deal with life-changing events. Each character is broken through what life has dealt them, but each finds a chance to heal within …more
The Story of Arthur Truluv
The Story of Arthur Truluv: A Novel
by Elizabeth Berg
A Wonderful Story that Explores Important Questions (6/20/2017)
I enjoyed this book very much. Not only is it a well-written and engrossing story with interesting characters, it also explores some important questions: "What gives our life meaning? How do we live a good life?" Most of the characters are lonely, "aching and frightened and …more
What Lies Between Us
What Lies Between Us
by Nayomi Munaweera
Mesmerizing! (12/2/2015)
This is an extraordinary and powerful novel that made me its captive from page one. The prologue lets the reader know that something terrible has happened to the narrator. With that foreshadowing, I followed the narrator's story from Sri Lanka to San Francisco riveted by …more
The Last Flight of Poxl West
The Last Flight of Poxl West
by Daniel Torday
A Big-Hearted Book That's Hard to Put Down (1/6/2015)
This book has something for just about everyone and I highly recommend it. It weaves two narratives: the first, that of Eli Goldstein who looks back to his teen-age years and time spent with his adored "Uncle" Poxl. The second narrative is Poxl's memoir of his experiences …more
Amy Falls Down
Amy Falls Down
by Jincy Willett
A Wonderful Blend of Laughter and Poignancy (7/5/2013)
This is a terrific book and I urge everyone to read it. While Willett nicely skewers the publishing world with a cast of characters and adventures certain to make you laugh out loud, she also adds very poignant moments from Amy's life, both past and present. Willett's …more
Ghostman
Ghostman
by Roger Hobbs
Terrific Thriller (1/11/2013)
I am not someone who reads thrillers, but I gave this one a try and am I glad I did! This is a gem of a book---fast paced, well-written and engrossing. I couldn't put it down. I usually avoid thrillers, because I don't enjoy the violence, but the violence in this book, …more
The Headmaster's Wager
The Headmaster's Wager: A Novel
by Vincent Lam
Very good book club selection (8/10/2012)
This is an engaging and often gripping story set in Saigon in the late 60's and early 70's. I was quickly immersed in the political turmoil of the times, feeling all the fear and suspicion of a world where brutality and cunning have the upper hand. Yet, against this …more
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