1. An American Marriage by
published February 6, 2018
Newlyweds
Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the
New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink
of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life
together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have
imagined. In this deft exploration of love, loyalty, race, justice, and
both Black masculinity and Black womanhood in 21st century America,
Jones achieves that most-elusive of all literary goals: the Great
American Novel.
2. Every Note Played by
published January 29, 2019
From neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice comes a powerful exploration of regret, forgiveness, freedom, and what it means to be alive.
An
accomplished concert pianist, Richard received standing ovations from
audiences all over the world in awe of his rare combination of emotional
resonance and flawless technique. Every finger of his hands was a
finely calibrated instrument, dancing across the keys and striking each
note with exacting precision. That was eight months ago.
Richard
now has ALS, and his entire right arm is paralyzed. His fingers are
impotent, still, devoid of possibility. The loss of his hand feels like a
death, a loss of true love, a divorce—his divorce.
He knows his left arm will go next.
Three
years ago, Karina removed their framed wedding picture from the living
room wall and hung a mirror there instead. But she still hasn’t moved
on. Karina is paralyzed by excuses and fear, stuck in an unfulfilling
life as a piano teacher, afraid to pursue the path she abandoned as a
young woman, blaming Richard and their failed marriage for all of it.
When
Richard becomes increasingly paralyzed and is no longer able to live on
his own, Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. As Richard’s muscles,
voice, and breath fade, both he and Karina try to reconcile their past
before it’s too late.
Poignant and powerful, Every Note Played is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness.
3. A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline-352 pages-published February 21, 2017
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the smash bestseller Orphan Train, a stunning and atmospheric novel of friendship, passion, and art, inspired by Andrew Wyeth’s mysterious and iconic painting Christina’s World.
"Later
he told me that he’d been afraid to show me the painting. He thought I
wouldn’t like the way he portrayed me: dragging myself across the field,
fingers clutching dirt, my legs twisted behind. The arid moonscape of
wheatgrass and timothy. That dilapidated house in the distance, looming
up like a secret that won’t stay hidden."
To
Christina Olson, the entire world was her family’s remote farm in the
small coastal town of Cushing, Maine. Born in the home her family had
lived in for generations, and increasingly incapacitated by illness,
Christina seemed destined for a small life. Instead, for more than
twenty years, she was host and inspiration for the artist Andrew Wyeth,
and became the subject of one of the best known American paintings of
the twentieth century.
As she did in her beloved smash bestseller Orphan Train,
Christina Baker Kline interweaves fact and fiction in a powerful novel
that illuminates a little-known part of America’s history. Bringing into
focus the flesh-and-blood woman behind the portrait, she vividly
imagines the life of a woman with a complicated relationship to her
family and her past, and a special bond with one of our greatest modern
artists.
Told in evocative and lucid prose, A Piece of the World is
a story about the burdens and blessings of family history, and how
artist and muse can come together to forge a new and timeless legacy.
4. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah-435 p.
published February 6, 2018
Alaska, 1974.
Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.
Ernt
Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and
volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive
decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live
off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
Thirteen-year-old
Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide
of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a
new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate
for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go
anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the
unknown
At
first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild,
remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community
of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the
generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation
and dwindling resources.
But
as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile
mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the
perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small
cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and
her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild,
there is no one to save them but themselves.
In
this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin
Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer
and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and
danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story
about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives
in both man and nature.
5. Clock Dance by Anne Tyler-292 p.
published July 10, 2018
A bewitching new novel of family and self-discovery from the best-selling, award-winning author of A Spool of Blue Thread.
Willa
Drake can count on one hand the defining moments of her life. In 1967,
she is a schoolgirl coping with her mother's sudden disappearance. In
1977, she is a college coed considering a marriage proposal. In 1997,
she is a young widow trying to piece her life back together. And in
2017, she yearns to be a grandmother, yet the prospect is dimming. So,
when Willa receives a phone call from a stranger, telling her that her
son's ex-girlfriend has been shot, she drops everything and flies across
the country to Baltimore. The impulsive decision to look after this
woman and her nine-year-old daughter will lead Willa into uncharted
territory--surrounded by eccentric neighbors, plunged into the rituals
that make a community a family, and forced to find solace in unexpected
places. A bittersweet, probing novel of hope and grief, fulfillment and
renewal, Clock Dance gives us Anne Tyler at the height of her powers.
