columns New paperback releases for reading groups
GAIMAN’S MAGICAL JOURNEY Versatile and acclaimed author Neil Gaiman targets adult readers in his latest book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Morrow, $14.99, 208 pages, ISBN 9780062255662), a spellbinding short novel set in England. The book’s middle-aged narrator, who remains anonymous throughout the tale, grew up in Sussex with some very odd neighbors—the Hempstocks: a witchy old woman, a little girl and her mother. When the narrator returns to Sussex many decades later, he finds the old
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er to his older sons, Richard and Jamie. Richard hopes to become a screenwriter and lives in Los Angeles, while Jamie travels around the world documenting catastrophes. Their story has a few madcap elements, including a fake manuscript and a viral video, but at bottom, it’s a profound examination of family ties and the delicacy of human relationships. Gilbert’s depiction of Andrew as a reclusive, gruff author is spot-on, and his portrayal of sibling relations is sure to resonate with readers. A shrewd observer of humanity, Gilbert has crafted an engaging family story that fans of Franzen and Chabon will savor.
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FAMILY BUSINESS David Gilbert’s widely acclaimed second novel, & Sons (Random House, $16, 480 pages, ISBN 9780812984354), is a masterfully constructed narrative about a New York novelist coming to terms with the passing of time. Andrew Dyer is adored by the reading public but leads an isolated life. Motivated by the death of an old friend, he’s eager for his three sons to forge a friendship with one another. His teenage son, Andy, whose out-of-wedlock conception proved the undoing of Andrew’s marriage, is half-broth-
AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED
An irresistible debut novel about family, love, friendship, and lobsters. “This big-hearted story about small-town Maine captivated me from the first page. Filled with humor and poetry…” —Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train
An exploration of the artistic processes and lives of creative women from New York Times bestselling author Sena Jeter Naslund. “An incisive and keenly pleasurable novel.” —Booklist
Over the course of one year, in a charming cottage by the sea, eight people will discover love and remembrance, reconciliation and reunion, beginnings and endings in this unforgettable sequel to Georgia Bockoven’s The Beach House.
An extraordinary tale of murder and moonshine from New York Times bestselling author Tom Franklin & Beth Ann Fennelly. “A swift, soulful mix of love story and crime saga.” —Seattle Times
By Khaled Hosseini Riverhead $16, 448 pages ISBN 9781594632389
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woman and mother at home, just as they were years before, unaltered. The girl, who was gone the last time he saw the family, remains absent. Looking back on his childhood, the narrator recalls his magical involvement with the Hempstocks, who are in reality formidable, ageless figures working to protect the world from an evil supernatural power. With typical skill and imaginative genius, Gaiman combines elements of mythology, mystery and fantasy in an irresistible story that his legions of followers will love. Richly atmospheric and wonderfully original, this is a tale from an author whose inventiveness seems to know no bounds.
Khaled Hosseini’s beautifully crafted third novel, And the Mountains Echoed, opens in 1952 in Afghanistan, where Saboor, a poor man struggling to survive, sells Pari, his 3-year-old daughter, to a wealthy couple. As subsequent sections of this powerful novel reveal, Saboor’s actions directly affect the family members who follow him, including his young son, Abdullah, who is torn apart by the loss of Pari. Hosseini tracks the repercussions of Saboor’s decision across five decades, as the action shifts outside of Afghanistan to France, America and Greece. He weaves many different plot strands into this remarkable narrative, controlling them all with remarkable skill and clear intent. A poignant tale of generational ties and the inescapable bonds of kinship, this is an impressive follow-up to Hosseini’s previous books, The Kite Runner (2003) and A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007).
Summer’s Hottest Paperbacks
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