STARRED REVIEW
June 2019

Book Clubs: June 2019

Feature by
STARRED REVIEW
June 2019

Book Clubs: June 2019

Feature by
June 2019

Book Clubs: June 2019

Feature by
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Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Ingrid Rojas Contreras' impressive first novel, Fruit of the Drunken Tree, takes place in 1990s Bogotá, Colombia, when Pablo Escobar held the country in a grip of terror. The novel is narrated mainly by 7-year-old Chula Santiago, who lives with her family in the comfort of a gated community thanks to the money her father makes as an oil worker. When a maid named Petrona comes to work for the Santiagos, Chula befriends her. Petrona, who is 13, grew up in a slum. Terrorists kidnapped her father and brothers, and she is trying to support the rest of her family. As the situation worsens in Bagotá, Chula's family is able to leave. Petrona, meanwhile, becomes involved with a suspicious young man nammed Gorrión. Contreras juxtaposes the two girls' worlds with authenticity and covincing detail, and her portrayal of the social divisions and dangers of Colombian life is riveting and remarkably assured. 


French Exit by Patrick deWitt

Affluent widow Frances Price comes to terms with the loss of her fortune while her son meets up with the woman he loves—and her fiancé—in deWitt's sly, sophisticated novel.


Southernmost by Silas House

In House's latest novel, small-town pastor Asher Sharp upsets his congregation when he tries to help a gay couple after a disastrous flood, an act that affects his relationship with his conservative wife and their young son and makes Asher question his own faith.


Still Livesby Maria Hummel

Kim Lord's self-portraits, inspired by female murder victims are the talk of the LA art scene. But when Kim goes missing, a young editor becomes enmeshed in the mystery of this stylish, suspenseful thriller. 


Life in the Garden by Penelope Lively
In this delightful, beautifully wrought memoir, Lively meditates on how gardening has impacted her personal evolution and her work. 

 

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Get the Books

Fruit of the Drunken Tree

Fruit of the Drunken Tree

By Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Doubleday
ISBN 9780385542722
French Exit

French Exit

By Patrick deWitt
Ecco
ISBN 9780062846921
Southernmost

Southernmost

By Silas House
Algonquin
ISBN 9781616206253
Still Lives

Still Lives

By Maria Hummel
Counterpoint
ISBN 9781619021112
Life in the Garden

Life in the Garden

By Penelope Lively
Viking
ISBN 9780525558378

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