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1954 Three young men become friends at a boy's correctional facility in Nebraska. When Emmett is released early to take care of his young brother Duchess and Woolly take advantage and hitch a ride in the trunk. Emmett and Billy only have each other now and Billy is determined to find their mother by the postcards she has sent them over the years. They make a plan to take the Lincoln Highway all the way to California to find her. Duchess and Woolly have other plans and a very different type of road trip begins. A stunning glimpse of a time gone by - an adventure the likes of Billy's favorite storybook made by a group of misfits looking for redemption and a chance to be a hero instead of the bad boy. Beautifully written, this is a quiet story that begs to be savored one sentence at a time. Billy's innocence, unflagging trust and blind faith in the goodness of people will grip your heart. Amor Towle's fans will fall in love all over again as will readers who want a deep dive into the character's soul with a bit of adventure thrown in. 5 stars 
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Such a quiet book that handles some hard topics. Jean is a reporter who takes on an interesting story of a woman claiming that her child was the result of a virgin birth. Jean is skeptical as is the rest of the newsroom but agrees to research and report the findings. As she gets to know Gretchen, her daughter Margaret and current husband Howard, Jean starts to like these people and begins to root for them. Test after test is run and Jean interviews as many people who were at the hospital around the same time as Gretchen where the supposed miracle conception took place. Jean could be called a dutiful spinster living with her crotchety frail mother but when she is included in the Tidbury family's lives Jean starts coming out of her shell. This story takes place in 1950's London, which means they did not have the precise DNA tests they do now and society judged women harshly who had children out of wedlock. Achingly sweet, this story is of good people trying to deny themselves their true self by trying to do the right thing. For readers who love a good historical story with a deep character dive touched with sweetness. 4 stars  A clever RomCom about family and cultural differences but how love is the same all over the world. Kiran has promised to marry an Indian man as her family demand and not dishonor them like her older sister did by marrying beneath her. Nash is new in town and has no family except for an aunt who has always been there for him. Neither is looking for love but a friendship that begins over chai and laughter turns into more. This question will come up several times in the story - when do you listen to your heart instead of your head. A sweet story that brings up really interesting points about cultural differences and biases that make you realize how hard it can be and all those hurtles immigrants face coming here. 4 stars  A frightening collection of stories of race, violence and uncertainty that are complete on their own but flow together beautifully. The main story is of Da'Naisha and a group of neighbors who are run out of town as their homes are burned down by a white supremacist group. They flee to Monticello where they take it over barricading themselves against the outside world. Da'Naisha is a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings so it seems right that this is where they stop and fight back. Themes of racial hatred, the struggle for a better life and the violence and uncertainty of the future makes some of this feel apocalyptic like McCarthy's THE ROAD. This is a powerful debut that you will think about well after the final page. 4 stars  A mash-up of postpartum depression, a loss of self and a quest back to childhood roots. A new mom of less than a year leaves the baby at home with dad to attend a conference out west. Once there she takes off on an impromptu escape into the desert to revisit her childhood and previous wild life. Born to freedom seeking hippy parents, one of whom hung out with Charles Manson and family, they moved constantly and had an early introduction to drugs, sex and free thinking. Letting loose of all those responsibilities of motherhood and the relationship back home, she does what she wants to who she wants for as long as she wants. It is honest, gritty and chockfull of dark thoughts. I wanted to slap her and tell her to get her butt back home but still enjoyed her colorful story. 4 stars  An idyllic cabin on a lake with no one around for miles sounds like the perfect summer childhood for a family with three boys. It was a treasured place where they were bound at the hip until one tragic accident happened and the boys drifted apart. Years later they are on their way to the cabin together one last time to scatter their mother's ashes and confront what really happened. This begins like the perfect family drama and the banter between the boys, the way Benjamin tries to take care of the others like a mama duck and the freedom to just catch tadpoles or swim. The story takes place in Sweden but it talks about family relationships, guilt and deep emotions that are universal. You don't really get to the heart of the story until the end of this slim novel and then it is an emotional gut punch. 4 stars  Like his previous book, THE READER, this is a quiet introspective look at a woman's life serving others from the sidelines waiting for the time when her dreams will be realized. Olga has fought for everything in life from pursuing a higher educations, to her aristocrat friends, to the man she falls in love with whose own dreams were always more important and who wouldn't stand up to his parents, to the son she raised who left her for the wrong side of the war and finally to helping raise another young man whose family she worked for as a seamstress. She survives great loss, war and abandonment yet never openly speaks out or complains. It is only in the last section of the book through her letters that we see another side of Olga and her life. A quiet historical look at the life of a woman beginning in the late 1800's in Prussia to 1970's Germany. This will appeal to readers who dive deep into character development instead of constant action. 3 1/2 stars  Panic hits the perfect family when the mom disappears into thin air one day. The four grown kids come home to take care of dad only to find out that maybe all wasn't so grand at the Delaney household. Joy and Stan have run a successful tennis school, have a great marriage and still play doubles so no one understands it when Stan ends up as the murder suspect. The couple also have recently taken in a young woman who seems more than a little sketchy to the kids. There is family drama and secrets galore just like Liane Moriarty is known for. 4 stars  There are fault lines in every marriage. Little stress fractures that given the right circumstances can build into a giant sink hole if the big one comes along. Mizuki is the picture of a modern Tokyo housewife with two beautiful children and a successful husband. She loves her children and appreciates the life her husband's hard work is providing but wants more out her day than laundry, food prep and kid entertainment. One night it is too much and she explores the city alone. She meets a man who offers her conversation, is interested in her as a thinking person and makes her laugh. These meetings continue making the fault line widen wondering if the big one comes what direction she will take or if the foundation will hold. Emily Itami gives us a glimpse into the life of many Tokyo women who constantly straddle the division between old world views of marriage and home life and the lure of freedom that a modern environment promises. She has written a story that women around the world can relate to and a charming love letter to her native Tokyo full of fabulous sights, food and customs. 4 stars  At first glance it seems like it is just mom and dad's relationship failing but soon their three daughters lives begin to get messy. The twins almost drowning under the eye of mom and dad was the tip of the iceberg as we follow a year in the life of the Alvarado family. Day by Day we see the progress or lack of in trying to save a marriage and see the truth behind the successful daughters and their own relationship failings. The book comes across like the weather patterns in L.A. of late - no rain, too much rain, always sunny and way too many fires but life keeps going pretty much the same as it always did. Sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating and very honest this is a look at what could be anyone's family. Perfect for readers who want deep family connections and lots of drama. 4 stars  |
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