Book Review
Moldy Strawberries
Brazilian writer Caio Fernando Abreu shines light on authoritarian 1980s Brazil, giving voice to those who were oppressed and ignored during the AIDS epidemic, in his exuberant short story collection "Moldy Strawberries". With a ranging...
Book Review
The Last One
"The Last One" is a mesmerizing, semiautobiographical novel about the meanings of identity, family, and sexuality. The story of eponymous character Fatima Daas is slight, but there’s depth and substance in her struggles to find paths...
Book Review
One Last Time
In Helga Flatland’s formidable novel "One Last Time", three generations of women are forced to reckon with each other—and with resentment, love, and loss. Anne, the mother of Sigrid and the grandmother of Mia, is diagnosed with...
Book Review
Waiting for the Waters to Rise
Maryse Condé’s novel "Waiting for the Waters to Rise" addresses immigration, nationalism, friendship, colorism, and political power through the intersecting lives of three friends. Babakar, a handsome obstetrician in Guadeloupe, is...
Book Review
Lemons in the Garden of Love
The two story lines of Ames Sheldon’s historical novel "Lemons in the Garden of Love" focus on important eras for women’s rights. In 1977, Cassie, who just married traditional Martin, is living in Minnesota and searching for a...
Book Review
Doubting Thomas
"Doubting Thomas" is a harrowing novel in which Thomas, a gay teacher, is falsely accused of inappropriate touching. Thomas is a fourth grade teacher at a prestigious private school. He is dedicated and well liked, and his teaching...
Book Review
We Are Bridges
Cassandra Lane’s hybrid memoir "We Are Bridges" incorporates imagined histories and evocative memories into its multigenerational tale of trauma. In the moment that Lane decided to have a baby, she also became determined to discover...
Book Review
The Critical Case of a Man Called K
The inner world of a sick, antagonistic young man is the compelling focus of Aziz Mohammed’s novel, The Critical Case of a Man Called K. Narrated in direct, plain language, the book delves into the unsettled mind of a young man who is...