Favorite Fiction, Part 1 - 2022

I read some wonderful novels this past year. It just wasn’t possible to winnow them down to a half dozen, so I am doing two parts with 7 books in each. Some really outstanding, informative, and entertaining stories. I hope you find something special to pick up for 2023.

Adams, Sara Nisha, The Reading List (2021). This is a fun book for those who love books and know the power reading can have in our lives. An unknown person makes a list of 8 favorite books and, making many copies, places them in spots where they will be discovered. Each of those who discovers a list in an unlikely place finds him or herself intrigued and begins to read. Some have not been readers and dipping into these 8 books has important ramifications for them. If you are a reader, you’ll enjoy how each book on the list affects each character and how the author develops their stories. You may find you, too, want to read or reread the books on the list: To Kill a Mockingbird, Rebecca, The Kite Runner, Life of Pi, Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, Beloved, and A Suitable Boy. https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-sara-nisha-adams 

Alameddine, Rabih, The Wrong End of the Telescope (2021). A very interesting novel about the huge crowds of refugees fleeing mostly from Syria to the island of Lesbos. I learned a lot—the circumstances for these desperate refugees is heartbreaking and even tho I knew about the situation when it was happening and became part of the global news, this book provides a more nuanced look at the situation for aid workers and the refugee families on the ground. Alameddine chose a unique way to present his story. He used his main character, a female doctor from the US, in a continuous conversation with the author so that the reader is also made aware of what it was like for Alameddine when he, too, visited Lesbos and was overcome by the ongoing tragedies. This book came to my attention through Altaonline’s California Book Club and on their website there is a video of an interview of Alameddine with comments by a friend of his, actress Susan Sarandon. https://www.altaonline.com/california-book-club/a40039302/rabih-alameddine-wrong-end-of-the-telescope-california-book-club-august-selection/ 

Brooks, Geraldine, Horse (2022). I loved this book for many reasons. I’m a fan of Brooks and have read several of her earlier books—she does an incredible job of researching each topic and skillfully weaves her characters from each era into her fictional story. Her books are well written and (rare it seems these days) carefully copyedited. Her sources are impeccable. In addition to good storytelling, the reader comes away better informed and aware than when they began. After a brief couple of chapters introducing two important characters in Washington DC in 2019—Jess, a Smithsonian scientist, and Theo, a Nigerian American art historian—the plot moves to a scene in 1850, a Kentucky horse breeding farm. Here we meet Jarret, a slave, and his father, a free black man, both of whom are skilled horse trainers and in charge of the farm owner’s herd. In this setting we also come to know Thomas  Scott, an itinerant thoroughbred painter whose work is indispensable to the long arm of the story. This is a book about horse racing—the people who do it, the owners, the trainers, and, most importantly, the greatest racehorse in American history, Lexington. Brooks does not shy away from either the historic racism of the South, the civil war, or the racism embedded in contemporary life. Her characters are complicated and not one-dimensional and we will miss some of them when the reading is done. You don’t have to be a horse lover to enjoy this book—but, if you are, you won’t want to miss it! http://geraldinebrooks.com/ 

Dark, Alice Elliott, Fellowship Point (2022). A life-long friendship between two very different women is challenged in the twilight of their lives. I found a lot of inspiration in this book about how to deal with life when dreams or wishes go awry. A central character in this rich novel is a majestic coastal Maine property that has been in a Quaker family for generations. The two women long to protect it from development in spite of sly ambitions of other families involved. Among the things I enjoyed about this book is its “beautifully woven, multi-layered narrative and the entirely contemporary themes it explores: a deep and empathic interest in women’s lives, the repercussions of class,” and the many issues that come to the fore in a long, well-lived life. Since one of the main characters is a writer, there’s some great insights into a writer’s life. https://www.aliceelliottdark.com/fellowship-point 

Fox, Lauren, Send for Me (2021). This touching historical fiction brings the complications of immigration and loss to life in an original way. Growing up in Feldenheim, Germany, working in her parents bakery, Annelise was both charmed and comfortable with all around her—until anti-Jewish sentiment rose and became government policy. She marries, and gives birth to a daughter as dangers become more apparent. Ultimately she and her husband and their daughter flee to the United States, leaving her beloved parents behind and promising to do everything possible to get them out too. Using an interesting writer’s device, fragments of letters the author actually found in her personal family archives, allow us to come that much closer to understanding how difficult it can be to leave everything you know behind and come to a country where you don’t speak the language or understand the culture, to cope with the searing loss of those loved ones you will never see again. Fox did a lovely and important job of sharing these details with us. http://laurenfoxwriter.weebly.com/ 

Hashimi, Nadia, Sparks Like Stars (2021). Sitara Zamani grew up in the presidential palace in Afghanistan in the 1970s, a time of promise and progressive culture in the country. But in 1978 a communist coup shatters her ten-year-old world as her entire family is assassinated. How she escapes through a soldier’s mercy and a female American diplomat and how, in her new life in America, she remains emotionally affected by her brutal early life experiences. This is a compelling story that taught me so much about that period in Afghanistan, the Russian military occupation that would precede the US one and provided a window into the lives of many children orphaned by war and forced to build a new life in a culturally different country. It’s a big book (452 pages, hardcover), but just the kind of saga that I enjoy. https://nadiahashimibooks.com/ 

Heller, Peter, The Guide (2021. The author brings back Jack, a character from his last novel, The River. He’s still trying to process personal losses that he blames himself for and the only solace he finds is either working on his dad’s ranch or flyfishing. When he’s fishing, the beauty and rhythm of the outdoors calms him and brings him joy. He takes on a job as a fishing guide at Kingfisher Lodge where he’ll guide the very privileged guests in their effort to hone their flyfishing skills and catch big fish during the day and be pampered with gourmet food, massage, and relaxation when they are not on the water. Or so the place is billed, but then Jack begins to notice some anomalies and his suspicions lead to dark places. Beautifully written by a man who understands the outdoors, fishing, and also the ruminations of an introverted and introspective human being. Really a lovely story with a big dash of adventure! https://www.peterhellerauthor.com/