Jennifer Parmelee Childs Recommends:

Gardens of Water: A Novel by Alan Drew

Hints of "Romeo and Juliet" are seen in this debut novel that brings to life the story of two families—one Muslim, one American—as their cultures and faiths clash with tragic results. Set in a small town outside Istanbul, during the 1999 earthquake (rendered in you-are-there detail), as the Basioglu family prepares for their nine-year-old son's coming of age party. Sinan Basioglu longs to protect his son from the pain of the ceremony and to shield him and his fifteen-year-old sister, Irem (who has forged a relationship with, Dylan, the American boy living upstairs), from the pain of growing up. He dreams of moving his family to his hometown, removed from the temptations of the city life, where he can raise his children in the Kurdish tradition. But on the eve of the ceremony, the earthquake destroys all that they own and they become refugees in their own country. Thrust into a camp with their American neighbors and the other muslim refugees, they no longer have the means to travel to a new life. In the confines of the camp, forced to become dependent on their American helpers, the forbidden love blossoms, and Sinan will do anything he must to stop it, to protect his family and his way of life. Dark and brutal at times, this is an inside look at a culture and faith that is foreign to most American readers, and a look at what can happen when the old and the new collide. The timeless themes and depth of characters make this a great pick for reading groups and “One Book, One Community” programs.

978-1-4000-6687-2 (1-4000-6687-5) | $25.00 | Penguin Random House | HC | February

Erica McDonald Recommends:

Sitting Practice by Caroline Adderson

What do you do when the unthinkable happens? When your life is suddenly, irrevocably altered from the one you thought was all planned out? Ross and Iliana go from happy newlyweds to car crash victims in the blink of an eye. With Iliana now paralyzed and Ross stricken with guilt, we are with them as they cycle through anger, grief, and resentment until they are ultimately, slowly able to adjust to their altered lives with grace and even humor. An emotionally riveting novel that at times left me teary eyed, but was also able to make me smile. I kept trying to imagine myself in the same situation, but always from the safe distance of my as-yet-tragedy-free world. One can never know. This U.S. debut of the Canadian sensation, praised by Margaret Atwood, will stay with you long after the last page. Perfect for book groups!

978-1-59030-558-4 (1-59030-558-2) | $21.95 | HC | Trumpeter | March

Marcia Purcell Recommends:

Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam by Pope Brock

I related to this book immediately. I assumed before I saw the advance reader's edition, that it had something to do with Hadacol. Invented in New Orleans, this was the product of choice when I was growing up. It was a cure-all, good for everything from colds to depression—and no wonder, as it contained 12% alcohol! The proponent of this 'miracle' cure (Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc) had much in common with John R. Brinkley of Charlatan in that neither were medical doctors and both were attracted to public office. Brinkley went on to gain such fame that he almost became governor of Kansas and was the most popular American radio broadcaster. And all because he pioneered an outlandish and highly dangerous method for restoring male virility. (The goat on the cover is a major clue!) He actually became one of America's largest mass murderers, leaving dozens and dozens of butchered patients behind him. The book also provides a highly informative look at Brinkley's nemesis, Morris Fishbein, editor of a little-read publication, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and his decades-long battle which culminated in a riveting trial. Narrative non-fiction at its best and for everyone who has been tempted to 'doctor' themselves. “Of course quacks have flourished in all ages and cultures, for nothing shows reason the door like cures for things. Unlike most scams, which target greed, quackery fires deeper into Jungian universals: our fear of death, our craving for miracles. When we see night approaching, nearly all of us are rubes." —Pope Brock

978-0-307-33988-1 (0-307-33988-2) | $24.95/$32.00C | Crown | HC | February

Courtney Russell Recommends:

The Mule by Juan Eslava Galán; translated by Lisa Dillman

Only a Spaniard can laugh in the face of war, poking fun at the absurdity of it all—as this Spanish author illustrates in his own inimitable style. The main character, Juan Castro Pérez, is a muleteer, or mule driver, in the Spanish Civil War. His closest companion is a mule named Valentina who Juan intends on keeping after the war is over to help his family on the farm. Apparently, Galán loosely based The Mule on the experiences of his own father during the war. Remember, the Spanish Civil War pitted the Nationalists (fascists) against the Republicans and ushered in the Franco regime in 1939. Amazingly, just sixty-eight years ago, this was a war in which brothers and friends fought against one another. Juan experiences several picaresque adventures including changing allegiances during the war, starting a misguided relationship with a girl, and becoming a reluctant, unwitting war hero. As I read, I thought “only in Spain can a soldier switch sides without penalty!” This engaging “dramedy” highlights the tragedy, banality, and toll of the war, without losing its satirical edge. And although cowardly, Juan is a good-hearted, humble man, and you’ll come to love him and his mule—rooting for them to make it through the brutal war.
Special note: The Mule is soon to be a major motion picture directed by Michael Radford (Il Postino).

978-0-553-38508-3 (0-553-38508-9) | $12.00 | Bantam | TR | February

David Eicke Recommends:

Samedi the Deafness by Jesse Ball

I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to say about Samedi the Deafness. I can say that Jesse Ball wrote it. I can say that it’s a book. But I feel that if I attempted to plot-summarize, my blurb would end up running down and covering up someone else’s cartoon, and no one likes it when that happens. I also can’t very well compare it to another book, or even two or three other books. All this Kafka-meets-Cussler-meets-Danielewski business tends to not make any sense. I found it in the Original Voices section when I visited Borders. They certainly got that right.
Not only did this book make me think, but also kept me so engaged that I read it faster than any novel since Angels & Demons four years ago. One can tell that Ball began writing as a poet. His words have a rarely achieved economy to them, and he’s managed to write the most beautiful love-scene I’ve ever come across. (And I’ve “come across” Toni Morrison.) This is a must for anyone looking for an original.

978-0-345-49850-2 (0-345-49850-X) | $21.95/$27.95C | Villard | HC (Available Now)

 

Staff Picks Archive:

Fall 2007

Summer 2007

Spring 2007