Gena's Reads

The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is historical fiction telling about the last of the blue-skinned people of Kentucky, particularly Cussy Mary Carter, a pack horse librarian under Roosevelt’s Mobile Library Project. Scraping out a living was hard in Appalachia in the 1930’s and although many people barely had enough to eat and in fact many more died of starvation and watched their children die, they still longed for the books and magazines the women of the…

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One More Year is a collection of short stories by Sana Krasikov. The stories focus on the lives of immigrants from the former Soviet Union. I loved these stories because they gave me a window into cultures I know very little about. They illuminate the truth all immigrants grapple with, being caught between two worlds and not quite belonging anywhere, yet desperately searching for a home, for happiness, for prosperity, for the American dream. Honest, messy, sad, full of heart…

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Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson is a beautiful memoir written entirely in poetry; memory comes alive on the page. Woodson shares her childhood in Ohio, South Carolina and New York City, each place a part of her, each side of her family shaping her into the person she would become.The writing is simple, elegant and packed with emotion and imagery of what it was like to grow up an African American girl in the 60’s and 70’s, dreaming of…

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Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine by Ibtisam Barakat is a memoir picking up where Tasting the Sky left off, although this is a stand alone book. It follows her through her adolescence in Palestine from 1972-1981 as she dreams of being a writer and helps her mother pursue her dream of graduating from high school. This is a wonderful look into a culture not often represented in literature. Barakat is determined to follow her dreams despite…

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Elsewhere, Home is a collection of short stories by one of my favorite African authors, Leila Aboulela,  Aboulela writes with experience about Muslim immigrants from Sudan and Egypt living abroad in Scotland and London and the challenges that they face, the longing for home which never really goes away. Beautifully realized, these are stories that will help bridge the gap between very different cultures. A great read that couldn’t be more timely.

Light From Other Stars by Erika Swyler is a wonderful novel about a young girl growing up in a small Florida town, watching Space Shuttles launch and determined to go into space herself one day. Both her parents are scientists and her father is working on an invention that will have ramifications for the whole town. Traveling back in forth in time and space, Swyler has crafted a fantastic story about the relationship between parents and their children, the responsibility…

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Less by Andrew Sean Greer is the story of Arthur Less, a failing writer about to turn fifty, whose boyfriend of nine years is getting married someone else. To avoid the humiliation of the wedding, Arthur pieces together a round the world book tour in order to be out of the country when it takes place. Written with sharp wit, I found this book hilarious, wise and surprisingly moving. Even through all his mistakes and missteps, it was impossible not…

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Clever Girl by Tessa Hadley tells the story of Stella, an ordinary Englishwoman whose life unfolds in snapshots in the novel, moving from the 60’s to present day. Nothing extraordinary happens here, however it is Hadley’s writing that elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary, deftly describing the ways in which Stella relates to the world and everyone around her. A subtle, yet beautiful book.

Severance by Ling Ma is a post-apocalyptic novel set in NYC in the very near future. Candice Chen is so committed to the routine of her workday, she barely notices when Shen Fever sweeps the city and she is eventually left to survive alone.Ma writes in a wonderfully satirical voice about the end of the world and her place in what is left of it. A funny, insightful and slightly eerie look at a path that is all too easily…

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26a is a semi-autobiographical novel by British author Diana Evans. In an attic room in London, two identical twins grow up together, sharing everything, and avoiding the unhappiness of their parents below. On a trip to Nigeria to visit their Mother’s family, unexpected events lead to the first secrets between them, and their lives begin to slowly drift apart. Beautifully written, Evans is a master of using language in new and creative ways. Poetic, full of humor, tragedy, and also…

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