“Brilliantly conceived. . . . There are court intrigues, whispered rumors, a clever subplot about the power of painting, what it reveals as well as what it hides . . .
“Early 20th century writing, especially translated from one language to another, can be challenging to read, but Nèmirovsky’s story and Smith’s translation make Master of Souls
Cyclorama is a stunning novel that weaves together past and present while reflecting on and questioning Anne Frank’s timeless assertion, “In spite of everything, I still believe that peopl
“Readers may never know if or how that near-death experience [Wiggins' stroke while writing] may have altered Wiggins’ concept of Properties of Thirst.
“I did not know how to explain this stubborn love for my parents that I staggered under, iridescent and gigantic and veined with a terrible grief, grief for the ways their lives had been compost fo
Nineteen-year-old Avery helps her mother give birth to a baby boy who dies within ten minutes. While her female siblings care for their mother, Avery is given the task of burying the child.