book clubs by julie hale
New paperback releases for reading groups
Wild Child Set in Alaska in the 1920s, Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child (Back Bay, $14.99, 416 pages, ISBN 9780316175661) is a story of stark realism with a little bit of magic thrown in for good measure. Jack and Mabel struggle to eke out an existence on their farm as their marriage slowly disintegrates. She is lonely, and he is tired, and their prospects seem especially hopeless during the bleak winter season. One day, they build a child from snow—an act that changes their lives forever. The snow child disap-
pears overnight, but Jack and Mabel soon catch sight of a young girl in the woods. Named Faina, the girl knows how to live on her own in the wild. Jack and Mabel are fascinated by the magical, otherworldly child, but there’s more to Faina than they realize, and her sudden appearance in their lives has remarkable consequences. This is Ivey’s debut, but she writes with the assurance of a seasoned novelist. Offering up breathtaking descriptions of the Alaskan landscape, she has created her own type of fairy tale—a story that’s compelling from start to finish.
MISSING PERSON Lydia Millet’s spellbinding Ghost Lights (Norton, $15.95, 256 pages, ISBN 9780393343458) features an unlikely adventurer: an IRS employee named Hal. With a paraplegic daughter and an unfaithful wife, Hal—tired of work and life in Los Angeles—is ready for a change. When his wife’s boss, T., goes missing in Belize, Hal decides to find him. His quest turns out to be the trip of a lifetime—one that lands him in the wilds of Central Amer-
FALL INTO
GREAT READING
ica, where violence and political upheaval rule the day—and pulls Hal well out of his comfort zone. Millet’s book is a true page-turner. It’s dramatic and suspenseful, but it’s also a poignant portrait of a man in search of fulfillment. Exploring the ways in which growth and transformation can occur when they’re least expected, Millet has written an adventure novel that’s emotionally rich and psychologically penetrating. (Note: Millet’s latest novel, Magnificence, is reviewed in this month’s fiction section.)
best. Heartbreaking and uplifting,
TOP PICK IN BOOK CLUBS
appeal to anyone who believes in
What happens to a novelist when fantasy and reality coalesce? Helen Oyeyemi explores this question in her fourth book, Mr. Fox, which features a novelist named St. James Fox. A British author working in the 1930s, Fox consistently kills the heroines in his books—a habit that upsets Mary Foxe, the imaginary young woman who serves as his muse. When she comes to life and pays Fox a visit in person, she issues a proposition: The two of them will cook up a series of stories in which they both have roles. It’s an adventuresome game that kindles a romance of sorts—a fact that disturbs Mr. Fox’s real-life wife, Daphne. Oyeyemi spins this complex tale with the greatest of ease, presenting the narrative in a fascinating series of interconnected stories set in varying eras and locales. This is a delightfully provocative book that’s sure to charm lovers of literary fiction.
Mr. Fox By Helen Oyeyemi
Riverhead $16, 336 pages ISBN 9781594486180
fiction
“A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER OF THE FIRST ORDER”* They found a body. I know who it is…
*The Age (Australia)
A HEARTWARMING FAMILY STORY “Georgia Bockoven at her very poignant and triumphant... it will the healing power of love.”
— Kristin Hannah
AN EVERYDAY TALE OF BOY STALKS GIRL... “A breezy romance that looks set to be this summer’s One Day... a delight.”
— Net-a-Porter
IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO START OVER, WOULD YOU TAKE IT? “By turns hilarious and heart-tugging… a thoroughly enjoyable read!”
— Juliette Fay, author of Deep Down True
EXCELLENT FOR BOOK CLUBS @WilliamMorrowPB William Morrow Paperbacks w w w.BookClubGirl.com
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