GOOD READS
Beyond Best-Sellers: What B&ECPL Staff Recommend
The following were recently published titles which were read and recommended by members of our staff in the month indicated. The initials or pen name of the contributing staff member are noted after each review. Click here for more current recommendations.
April 2003
The Crimson Petal and the White Michel Faber
Fiction
A young prostitute longs to escape her dark life in the brothels of Victorian Era London and sees the opportunity when a wealthy industrialist becomes obsessed with her. This massive work is a captivating, well-researched novel. Reviewed by Betty
Raising the Hunley Brian Hicks
Non-Fiction
This is the story of the discovery & raising of the Confederate submarine off the coast of South Carolina. The author also includes information about the development of the submarine as a weapon in the Civil War. Reviewed by MMS
The Fingersmith Sarah Waters
Fiction
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, this is an intricately plotted suspense novel. Set in Victorian England, it explores the themes of deception and redemption as it follows the lives of two very different women who discover they have much in common. Reviewed by dml
Avoidance Michael Lowenthal
Fiction
Selfishness vs. selflessness; belonging vs. isolation are addressed in this powerful novel. A young man is forced to deal with these issues through his roles as an assistant camp director and a student of the Amish culture. An amazing book! Reviewed by sjc
Sweet Hush Deborah Smith
Fiction
The latest by the author who hooked me with Blue Willow. Don't be fooled by the unlikely storyline, just enjoy the many colorful southern characters in this romantic tale set in an apple orchard in Georgia. Reviewed by dal
Gravesend Light David Payne
Fiction
An anthropologist returns to his family home on the outer banks of North Carolina and finds himself in conflict with the people he hoped to study. Reviewed by MMS
A Life Worth Living: The Adventures of a Passionate Sportsman Jack Hemingway
Non-Fiction
A touching memoir of a lifetime spent practicing fly-fishing; the sport that the author and his father, Ernest Hemingway, loved so much. The late Jack Hemingway was very much his own man and lived life with zeal, humor and grace. Fishing enthusiasts and Hemingway aficionados will want this book in their creel. Reviewed by JSC
Clara Callan Richard Bruce Wright
Fiction
This Giller Prize and Governor General's Award winning title is the story of two Canadian sisters who choose to lead untraditional lives during the onset of World War II. Reviewed by dml
Learning to Float: The Journey of a Woman, a Dog, and Just Enough Men Lili Wright
Non-Fiction
This work of non-fiction is a journey of self-discovery. Wright, the 33-year-old author, wonders why her relationships never last. In order to contemplate this, she takes a road trip from Maine to Florida and ends up discovering that she needs to marry herself before anyone else. Reviewed by AP
The Blackwater Lightship Colm Toibin
Fiction
Three generations of an Irish family rediscover their bonds while caring for a relative with a terminal illness. Reviewed by MMS
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