columns New paperback releases for reading groups
NATURAL SELECTION The Signature of All Things (Penguin, $17, 512 pages, ISBN 9780143125846) is Elizabeth Gilbert’s first work of fiction in 13 years. Set in the 18th and 19th centuries, this abundantly detailed historical narrative tells the story of the Whittaker family of Philadelphia. Patriarch Henry Whittaker amassed vast wealth in the quinine business in South Africa.
He passes on his fortune and his brilliant intellect to his daughter, Alma, whose interest in botany leads her into the study of evolution. Alma isn’t a beauty, and her bookish pursuits take precedence over romance. When she does fall in love, it’s with an artist named Ambrose Pike, whose reverence for the mystical is at odds with her own rational nature. Passages both literal and figurative ensue for Alma, as she sets out on a journey with stops in Tahiti and Holland to explore the natural world and her own inner terrain. Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) has written a fascinating, deeply authentic story of one woman’s quest to find herself, a book that demonstrates her remarkable range as an author.
FINAL CUT A smart, spellbinding mystery, Marisha Pessl’s Night Film (Random House, $18, 640 pages, ISBN 9780812979787) is a worthy follow-up to the author’s acclaimed debut novel, Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Filmmaker Stanislas Cordova has an underground following—his dark, disturbing movies have been banned from theaters and become bona fide cult classics. Stanislas’ daughter, Ash-
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ley, a piano prodigy, is featured in his final film. Gorgeous and gifted, Ashley plays Carnegie Hall as a preteen and is dead by the age of 24, when, to all appearances, she commits suicide. Journalist Scott McGrath, an expert on Stanislas and his work, believes there’s more to Ashley’s demise than meets the eye. Along with two friends, Scott begins an investigation into the father-daughter bond and the circumstances surrounding Ashley’s death. Pessl bolsters the story with fictionalized documentary materials—transcripts, articles, screenshots—creating a sense of authenticity that adds to the novel’s appeal. This hypnotic, cleverly crafted thriller provides further proof that Pessl is a writer to be reckoned with.
Back in paperback from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train This beautifully wrought Southern saga, Kline’s debut, recounts a daughter’s search for the truth about her mother’s death.
New from the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Colors An abandoned baby, a glorious old Newport mansion, and awakening romance swirl the glittering waters of Breakwater Bay…
A work of literary fiction that brings to life a little-known chapter of the American Revolution “This is a superb novel. Don’t miss it.” —William Martin, Time bestselling New York Times author of Cape Cod
TOP PICK FOR BOOK CLUBS Amy Tan’s The Valley of Amazement (Ecco, $16.99, 608 pages, ISBN 9780062107329) is a wide-ranging multigenerational saga that opens in 1914 Shanghai. Violet, the book’s primary narrator, lives with her American mother, Lucia, who’s the mistress of a popular courtesan establishment. When her mother inexplicably departs for San Francisco, Violet finds herself alone in Shanghai. An exotic beauty, Violet becomes a courtesan herself and has a daughter of her own. The novel flashes back to 1800s San Francisco to tell the story of Lucia, a woman very different from the one Violet grew up with. Tan’s rich descriptions of China in the early 1900s and her command of history make this a mesmerizing family epic. Her fans will savor this novel, which finds Tan at the top of her game 25 years after the publication of her luminous debut, The Joy Luck Club.
The latest mystery from New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd “A gripping whodunit haunted by the brutal realities of war and graced with the selfless determination of Bess to uncover the truth.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
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