Kindle First

[tubemonkey]

Went with The Big Fear. Least objectionable choice.

[Manabi]

This month's Kindle First selections are out, they are:

Blood Defense (Samantha Brinkman Book 1) by Marcia Clark [Genre: Thriller]

First in a new series from bestselling author and famed prosecutor Marcia Clark, a “terrific writer and storyteller” (James Patterson).

Samantha Brinkman, an ambitious, hard-charging Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, is struggling to make a name for herself and to drag her fledgling practice into the big leagues. Sam lands a high-profile double-murder case in which one of the victims is a beloved TV star—and the defendant is a decorated veteran LAPD detective. It promises to be exactly the kind of media sensation that would establish her as a heavy hitter in the world of criminal law.

Though Sam has doubts about his innocence, she and her two associates (her closest childhood friend and a brilliant ex-con) take the case. Notorious for living by her own rules—and fearlessly breaking everyone else’s—Samantha pulls out all the stops in her quest to uncover evidence that will clear the detective. But when a shocking secret at the core of the case shatters her personal world, Sam realizes that not only has her client been playing her, he might be one of the most dangerous sociopaths she’s ever encountered.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Samantha Brinkman is scrappy, smart, and strategic—exactly the kind of defense lawyer I’d want if I did a bad, bad thing. And in Blood Defense, there are plenty of characters doing bad, bad things. This feisty attorney combines her professional ambition and unusual sense of justice to handle both her clients and her barely-making-it law practice. And it’s this ambition that lands her a high-profile case.

I love both legal thrillers and courtroom dramas, whether reading or watching them, because—despite my seven eye-opening weeks of law school—I believe in truth and justice. And when so much about life seems disorderly and unfair, I find it reassuring to get lost in a story that demands truth and justice. To discover a book that can do so in a fresh and unexpected way is a good, good thing.

Sam surprised me, doing much of her most impressive lawyering outside the courtroom in the pursuit of justice, and I loved her for it. When I first read Blood Defense, I immediately asked, “Is this novel by the Marcia Clark?” Indeed, this is the Marcia Clark. Talk about street cred—this prominent former LA County prosecutor knows a thing or two about high-profile cases. And luckily for readers, she also knows a thing or two about writing legal thrillers.

- JoVon Sotak, Editor

Deliver Her by Patricia Perry Donovan [Genre: Suspense]

On the night of Alex Carmody’s sixteenth birthday, she and her best friend, Cass, are victims of a terrible car accident. Alex survives; Cass doesn’t. Consumed by grief, Alex starts cutting school and partying, growing increasingly detached. The future she’d planned with her friend is now meaningless to her.

Meg Carmody is heartbroken for her daughter, even as she’s desperate to get Alex’s life back on track. The Birches, a boarding school in New Hampshire, promises to do just that, yet Alex refuses to go. But when Meg finds a bag of pills hidden in the house, she makes a fateful call to a transporter whose company specializes in shuttling troubled teens to places like The Birches, under strict supervision. Meg knows Alex will feel betrayed—as will her estranged husband, who knows nothing of Meg’s plans for their daughter.

When the transport goes wrong—and Alex goes missing—Meg must face the consequences of her decision and her deception. But the hunt for Alex reveals that Meg is not the only one keeping secrets.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

This debut novel overtook me like a fever—I fell into the pages and did not look up until I had devoured the very last word. As a reader, I was thrilled by Deliver Her. And as a parent, I was terrified by this story of a mother who would do anything to save her child, no matter how extreme.

Nothing is worse than feeling helpless. Meg Carmody had a solid plan to rescue her self-destructive daughter, Alex, after the sixteen-year-old loses a friend in a terrible accident and spirals into addiction. But when the professional who Meg has hired to spirit Alex away from bad influences and into a therapeutic boarding school delivers the news that things have gone terribly wrong, Meg agonizes over her mistakes in the way we all do when looking into the abyss of fear and grief.

The universal themes I found in this novel are powerful—love, regret, deception, desperation—and author Patricia Perry Donovan weaves her tale flawlessly, testing the boundaries of family and friendship. What is uncovered is the origin story of a troubled teen, a character study of flawed adults, and a tale that made me look at my life and the world around me through a new lens. I can’t wait to share this book with all the readers I know would love it as feverishly as I do.

- Danielle Marshall, Editor

Golden Age (The Shifting Tides Book 1) by James Maxwell [Genre: Fantasy]

The discovery of a strange and superior warship sends Dion, youngest son of the king of Xanthos, and Chloe, a Phalesian princess, on a journey across the sea, where they are confronted by a kingdom far more powerful than they could ever have imagined.

But they also find a place in turmoil, for the ruthless sun king, Solon, is dying. In order to gain entrance to heaven, Solon is building a tomb—a pyramid clad in gold—and has scoured his own empire for gold until there’s no more to be found.

Now Solon’s gaze turns to Chloe’s homeland, Phalesia, and its famous sacred ark, made of solid gold. The legends say it must never be opened, but Solon has no fear of foreigners’ legends or even their armies. And he isn’t afraid of the eldren, an ancient race of shape-shifters, long ago driven into the Wilds.

For when he gets the gold, Solon knows he will live forever.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

I was swept away by this tale of dazzling adventure. James Maxwell, the author, draws from ancient Greek and Persian settings to create something completely original, vivid, and filmic. Golden Age tells of a seafaring region on the brink of war, and a young man and woman from different kingdoms who enlist the help of shape-shifting creatures—ferocious dragons and gigantic sea serpents—to save their people and homelands from a merciless king bent on conquest and destruction.

James Maxwell deploys his mastery of storytelling to incredible effect, skillfully weaving together numerous threads of mystery, magic, and action. I found the world he created spellbinding—I too experienced the expanse and force of the high seas as the characters set sail, and felt the fear in their hearts as they fought in titanic battles. I rooted for our two young heroes as they came of age amid crisis and danger, and when their lives were in peril, held my breath time and time again.

And as Golden Age comes to an end, reaching its climax, The Shifting Tides series continues on, bolder still as the world Maxwell has created becomes even richer and the stakes grow higher.

- Emilie Marneur, Editor

The Secret Healer by Ellin Carsta (Author), Terry Laster (Translator) [Genre: Historical Fiction]

In the fourteenth century, opportunities for women are limited to the home. But spirited young Madlen finds her calling as assistant to the city’s trusted midwife, Clara. Working alongside Clara, Madlen develops a surprisingly soothing technique and quickly becomes a talented healer.

After Clara’s tragic death, Madlen alone rushes to assist the birth of a local nobleman’s child. But rather than the joy of birth, Madlen walks into an accusation of murder and witchcraft because of her extraordinary gifts. Forced to flee her own town, she establishes a new identity in the home of her aunt. Yet even though it endangers her life, she cannot resist the urge to help the sick patients who seek out her miraculous treatment. When she meets handsome Johannes—an investigator hired by the Church to bring her to justice for sacrilegious acts—she becomes drawn to the very man who could destroy her.

Will Madlen’s gifts bring about her downfall? Or can love and reason prevail in a time of fearful superstition?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

I held my breath as I tore through the pages of this triumphant historical novel, anxious to see what would become of Madlen, the spirited young protagonist at the story’s core. Coming of age in fourteenth-century Germany where superstition reigns and a woman’s word is worth very little, Madlen discovers that her options in life are limited. From the moment I met her, I was enthralled by Madlen’s confidence and hungry to see where her instincts might take her.

As Madlen finds a place in life as a midwife’s assistant, her talent for soothing women in labor raises eyebrows. When one of her patients turns up dead, Madlen makes an easy scapegoat. And so she must take to the road and forge a path for herself. The courage of her flight to freedom is invigorating. Safety can only be found in hiding—Madlen knows her life is in danger—but her heart cannot resist the desperate pleas from loved ones of terminal patients whom doctors have given up on. Once more her unusual talent leads to cries of witchcraft and heresy. But the people whose lives she has touched know there is nothing sinister or supernatural about Madlen. Her craft is unique and inexplicable, but its effect on the lives of her patients is real. How could the community turn against this compassionate woman, the only one who was willing to help, the one who had saved so many?

Like me, you may feel inspired by Madlen’s brave dedication, spellbound by the light of her healing flame, and moved by the bonds this “secret healer” forges with those around her.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

The Eagle Tree by Ned Hayes [Genre: Literary Fiction]

Fourteen-year-old March Wong knows everything there is to know about trees. They are his passion and his obsession, even after his recent falls—and despite the state’s threat to take him away from his mother if she can’t keep him from getting hurt. But the young autistic boy cannot resist the captivating pull of the Pacific Northwest’s lush forests just outside his back door.

One day, March is devastated to learn that the Eagle Tree—a monolithic Ponderosa Pine near his home in Olympia—is slated to be cut down by developers. Now, he will do anything in his power to save this beloved tree, including enlisting unlikely support from relatives, classmates, and even his bitter neighbor. In taking a stand, March will come face-to-face with some frightening possibilities: Even if he manages to save the Eagle Tree, is he risking himself and his mother to do it?

Intertwining themes of humanity and ecology, The Eagle Tree eloquently explores what it means to be part of a family, a society, and the natural world that surrounds and connects us.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

To see the world through the eyes of someone else is one of reading’s greatest powers. The Eagle Tree carried me, with sensitivity and grace, into the mind of an autistic teenage boy—one who would rather climb tall trees than meet his mother’s gaze.

In this unconventional and uplifting story, the young narrator learns that a beloved ponderosa pine near his Olympia, Washington, home will be cut down. Panicked, he gathers an unlikely group of allies to save it from destruction. He must overcome numerous barriers to convince his mother, his uncle, a grumpy neighbor, and reluctant politicians to help him with his fight. I found myself moved by the boy’s determination and awed by his resourcefulness.

I can’t recall a story that pulled me so deeply into the inner workings of its protagonist’s extraordinary mind. But the novel does more than capture perfectly the unexpected and powerful voice of autism. The Eagle Tree also explores what it means to be part of a family and connected through our hearts and minds to the natural world that surrounds us.

- Carmen Johnson, Editor

Star Sand by Roger Pulvers [Genre: War Fiction]

In 1958, a diary is found in a cave on the small Japanese island of Hatoma. Alongside it are the remains of three people.

The journal reveals the story of Hiromi, a sixteen-year-old girl who’d grown up in the United States before living in Japan in the midst of World War II. One day, while collecting star sand—tiny star-shaped fossils—Hiromi finds two army deserters hiding in the seaside cavern—one American, one Japanese. The soldiers don’t speak the same language, but they’ve reached an agreement based on a shared hope: to cause no more harm and survive. Hiromi resolves to care for the men—feeding them and nursing their ailments—despite the risk that, if caught, she’ll die alongside them as a traitor. But when a fourth person joins in on their secret, they must face a threat from within. The diary abruptly ends, leaving everyone’s fate a mystery.

Decades later, in 2011, a young female university student decides to finally determine who died in that cave and who lived. Her search will lead her to the lone survivor—and bring closure to a gripping tale of heroism at a time when committing to peace was the most dangerous act of all.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Is there a place where peace can thrive during a time of war? Roger Pulvers’s Star Sand offers a courageous, quiet alternative to the frenzied, chaotic battlefront tales of World War II. It is the story of two men—enemy combatants who have both deserted—and one teenage girl, and the time they shared, removed from the turmoil and confronted with the opportunity to forge their own peace.

Hiromi lives alone on the tropical island of Hatoma, Japan, her solitude a form of refuge while she waits for the bombs to stop showering Osaka. She discovers two men—one an injured American soldier, one a distraught Japanese soldier—living together in a dark seaside cave. The men have little in common, aside from the fact that they’ve both fled the battlefield—they don’t even speak the same language. But both are drawn to bilingual Hiromi. She visits often with food and medical supplies, and as she talks with the soldiers she pieces together their stories. Through Hiromi’s diary, we come to understand what could drive a man to desert his comrades. The story of these three individuals finding one another is so simple, but its implications are profound. As Hiromi listens to two soldiers in need of respite from the horrors of war, she learns to hear peace within the silence that surrounds her.

Star Sand emphasizes the space between extremes, offering a bridge between men in opposing uniforms, between nations separated by oceans. In reading this elegant, evocative novel, perhaps you, too, will feel the power of a moment of silence, a short peace.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

[Dngrsone]

I'm going to try Deliver her

[tubemonkey]

Golden Age - I won't read it, but I have family who will.

[Manabi]

I went with Golden Age too. Sounds fairly decent for fantasy, so I'll probably read it eventually.

[phloxy]

Can't decide yet between Star Sand and The Eagle Tree, but leaning toward the latter.

[Wearever]

Good choices this month ! I'm deciding between, Deliver Her or Star Sand.

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by phloxy

Can't decide yet between Star Sand and The Eagle Tree, but leaning toward the latter.

Same here, after a fair bit of dithering I went with Star Sand.

[Dngrsone]

My review for Deliver Her:

This is very much a family drama/coming of age type story that went kind of slow for me until about halfway through the book. Once the big crisis occurs, and the main character, Alex is lost in the wilds of New Hampshire, then the story picked up and ran to a decent conclusion.

The primary characters are well-written, and the teenager vs parent drama was realistic, but some of the secondary characters were kind of flat-- if the author didn't write their POV at some time during the story, then their characterization for the most part were lacking (the shining exception is the dead Cassie, who is pretty much a main character despite her being dead during the whole book). All in all, a worthwhile read for teens and parents of teens; as long as you can get through the long setup.

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

My review for Deliver Her:

This is very much a family drama/coming of age type story that went kind of slow for me until about halfway through the book. Once the big crisis occurs, and the main character, Alex is lost in the wilds of New Hampshire, then the story picked up and ran to a decent conclusion.

The primary characters are well-written, and the teenager vs parent drama was realistic, but some of the secondary characters were kind of flat-- if the author didn't write their POV at some time during the story, then their characterization for the most part were lacking (the shining exception is the dead Cassie, who is pretty much a main character despite her being dead during the whole book). All in all, a worthwhile read for teens and parents of teens; as long as you can get through the long setup.

Thanks for the review Dngrsone I decided on( Deliver Her ) too.

[ATDrake]

Just a reminder that this will probably the last day to pick from one of this month's selections if you haven't already.

[Manabi]

This month's Kindle First selections are out, they are:

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison [Genre: Thriller]

Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Sometimes a story is powerful enough—and horrifying enough—to instantly transfix us and forever change the way we look at a simple object. In The Silence of the Lambs, it’s the lotion in the basket. In this gruesome crime novel, it’s butterflies.

Maya, a fierce survivor, leads us through the aftermath of a brutal event as she recounts her tale to the FBI, but her story keeps us at the edges, letting the questions simmer, bubbling up small answers that beg new, bigger questions in their wake: How did Maya escape captivity? Did the other girls survive? What happened to the garden—and the Gardener?

Maya reveals a vivid dimension to the twisted puzzle and raises larger questions about her own motives. As the truth slowly emerges from a carefully constructed cocoon, author Dot Hutchison has us questioning whether this is a tale of terrible beauty or a beautiful tale of terror.

The frantic rustling of a butterfly’s wings against a collector’s net seems futile—but when many butterflies flock together, they become much harder to pin down. For us, this innocuous symbol of transformative beauty will forever be a perverse reminder of the Gardener, a depraved man with his magnificent, grotesque collection of butterflies.

- Alison Dasho and JoVon Sotak, Editors

A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi [Genre: Contemporary Fiction]

A stunning new novel—full of wit and warmth—from the bestselling author of The Mango Season.

In trendy Silicon Valley, Priya has everything she needs—a loving husband, a career, and a home—but the one thing she wants most is the child she’s unable to have. In a Southern Indian village, Asha doesn’t have much—raising two children in a tiny hut, she and her husband can barely keep a tin roof over their heads—but she wants a better education for her gifted son. Pressured by her family, Asha reluctantly checks into the Happy Mothers House: a baby farm where she can rent her only asset—her womb—to a childless couple overseas. To the dismay of friends and family, Priya places her faith in a woman she’s never met to make her dreams of motherhood come true.

Together, the two women discover the best and the worst that India’s rising surrogacy industry has to offer, bridging continents and cultures to bring a new life into the world—and renewed hope to each other.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

As a mother and a fan of stories that transport me to another part of the world, I found this haunting and universal tale of the imperatives of motherhood tailor-made for me. Amulya Malladi is the author of five other gorgeously written novels, so naturally I was excited to dive in to her newest, A House for Happy Mothers.

In the dual narratives of Priya and Asha, two mothers living in very different socioeconomic conditions and parts of the world, several memorable themes resonated. First, the fierce lengths that women from any culture will go to make their dreams of motherhood come true. And the way that, against all odds and misgivings, women put their faith in each other to make those dreams a reality.

I found this novel to be a stunning and heartfelt story of two women with shared experiences across continents, illuminating both the relatable heartbreak of a couple who is struggling to conceive as well as exposing the rising but little known and troubling “surrogacy-for-hire” industry in India. This is a touching novel that will be relished by readers and discussed by many happy book clubs.

- Danielle Marshall, Editor

Enemy (On the Bones of Gods Book 1) by K. Eason [Genre: Fantasy]

The Illhari Republic rests on the bones of gods, telling tales of conquest and forgetting its once-bloody devotion to its most powerful goddess. Snowdenaelikk, half-blood conjuror and smuggler, cares less about history than the silver she can win with sharp metal and sharper wits. But when the local legion blames her for burning a village, an outlander with a sense of honor intervenes, and Snow finds herself tangled in politics and an unwelcome partnership.

Snow and her new partner, Veiko, together with the legion scout Dekklis, uncover a conspiracy that will destroy the Republic from within. It seems that the goddess is back from wherever dead gods go. She has not forgotten the Republic, and she wants revenge.

Loyal Dekklis will do anything to save the Republic, and Snow reluctantly agrees to help—until she realizes that “anything” means sacrificing Veiko. Now Snow must decide whether her partner’s life is worth betraying her allies and damning the Republic to war.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

This is not your stereotypical fantasy tale—in fact, debut author K. Eason has written a novel that turns tried and true into new and exciting. There are no beautiful, noble elves, wise wizards, or ugly orcs, and it’s not set in a land of sprawling castles. Rather, Enemy is full of soldiers and senators; wild, bearded northmen; gangsters; and dark sorcerers. The heroine is an assassin, her partner happens to be an outlaw, and, unfortunately, they’re the only ones who can save the land.

Enemy starts out with a thrilling chase scene, and the cinematic action never lets up from there. We meet Snow and Veiko, two people on the run, whom fate has seen fit to throw together. She’s smart, light on her feet, and quick with a knife. He’s the strong, silent type and can talk to the dead. Together, they form a wonderful sort of Mulder/Scully partnership (that is, if Mulder and Scully wore leather and furs instead of black suits and ties and wielded knives and axes instead of Glocks). That partnership is tested to its limits when a conspiracy that will overturn the peace is revealed, and Snow must make a choice. A violent goddess, whom the Republic has turned its back on, is out for revenge, and she has no shortage of supporters.

Through the battles, the betrayals, the losses, and the wins, we feel Snow and Veiko’s bond growing stronger. As the pair traverses snow-filled mountains, trying to stay one step ahead of the war on their tails, Snow’s reluctant leadership draws new allies, and her magical abilities become more important. By the time they reach the end of their road, she is forced to fight for what she never knew she always wanted. And we’re rooting for her all the way.

- Adrienne Procaccini, Editor

Time Heals No Wounds (A Baltic Sea Crime Novel by Hendrik Falkenberg (Author), Patrick F. Brown (Translator) [Genre: Mystery]

Freshly trained detective Johannes “Hannes” Niehaus is brand-new to the Criminal Investigation Department. And his partner, unconventional veteran detective Fritz Janssen, isn’t the least bit thrilled to train a rookie.

When a woman’s body washes up on the nearby shores of the Baltic Sea, Hannes gets his first taste of real crime—and a chance to prove himself. Quickly the investigation pulls him and Fritz into a whirlpool of dangerous, decades-old cover-ups. As the death count rises, the clues begin to lead them back to the Third Reich—and to harrowing crimes some people will do anything to keep hidden.

With the dead woman’s beautiful assistant to protect and a missing girl to find, Hannes navigates an ever-twisting maze of concealed horrors and enduring vendettas. Will he be able to catch the murderer before another innocent life gets caught in the killer’s dark plan?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Good chemistry between an unlikely pair of detectives can really get me hooked on a new crime series, and as the duo introduced in Time Heals No Wounds get to know one another, their rapport feels at once fresh and instantly familiar. The dynamics created by partnering an energetic novice with a quirky and independent-minded expert had me from page one.

Hannes Niehaus is brand new to his job, and his attention is not exclusively focused on police work—he has not yet let go of his athletic ambition, and he spends his mornings training for the Summer Olympics. But he’s excited to learn from his partner, Detective Chief Fritz Janssen, homicide, who is so experienced he can smell the next clue before it surfaces. There is no motive Fritz hasn’t heard of, and he excels at putting himself in the killer’s shoes. At first the two investigators have little in common, as Fritz is none too impressed by Hannes’s interests outside the force, and regardless, he prefers to work alone. But this gives Fritz something to razz Hannes about, and soon they are laughing together. As evidence comes to light, the bond between Hannes and Fritz builds—and so does their case.

And in the end—after some jaw-dropping twists and turns I won’t spoil for you—I found myself wishing for more bodies to turn up along the craggy Baltic Sea coast so I could see these detectives in action again. Luckily I don’t have to wait too long for the sequel, The Northern Cross.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

We're All Damaged by Matthew Norman [Genre: Modern Fiction]

Andy Carter was happy. He had a solid job. He ran 5Ks for charity. He was living a nice, safe Midwestern existence. And then his wife left him for a handsome paramedic down the street.

We’re All Damaged begins after Andy has lost his job, ruined his best friend’s wedding, and moved to New York City, where he lives in a tiny apartment with an angry cat named Jeter that isn’t technically his. But before long he needs to go back to Omaha to say good-bye to his dying grandfather.

Back home, Andy is confronted with his past, which includes his ex, his ex’s new boyfriend, his right-wing talk-radio-host mother, his parents’ crumbling marriage, and his still-angry best friend.

As if these old problems weren’t enough, Andy encounters an entirely new complication: Daisy. She has fifteen tattoos, no job, and her own difficult past. But she claims she is the only person who can help Andy be happy again, if only she weren’t hiding a huge secret that will mess things up even more. Andy Carter needs a second chance at life, and Daisy—and the person Daisy pushes Andy to become—may be his last chance to set things right.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

What’s more humiliating than watching a marriage dissolve in the middle of dinner at a cheesy chain restaurant? In We’re All Damaged, our lovable hero, Andy, is devouring his sizzling chicken dish when he’s blindsided by his wife’s announcement: “I don’t want this anymore.” And she’s not referring to the food. That’s just the first scene of this compulsively readable and heartrending novel.

In that moment I found myself instantly rooting for Andy, who narrates the story with brutal honesty and keen observation. I commiserated with him as he returns to his hometown to care for his dying grandfather and deal with his parents’ troubled marriage. In the process Andy meets a mysterious woman named Daisy who seems to know a lot about him, and he’s forced to witness his ex-wife’s brand-new life. In the wake of his painful divorce, Andy now faces the new challenge of holding his family together.

Matthew Norman’s novel reminded me that even when everything seems to be going wrong, we can find moments of joy and beauty with the most unexpected people. It’s a reassuring lesson that runs through We’re All Damaged and makes for a frank and joyful read.

- Carmen Johnson, Editor

About the Night by Anat Talshir (Author), Evan Fallenberg (Translator) [Genre: Literary Fiction]

On a hot summer day in 1947, on a grandstand overlooking Jerusalem, Elias and Lila fall deeply, irrevocably in love.

Tragically, they come from two different worlds. Elias is a Christian Arab living on the eastern side of the newly divided city, and Lila is a Jew living on the western side. A growing conflict between their cultures casts a heavy shadow over the region and their burgeoning relationship. Between them lie not only a wall of stone and barbed wire but also the bitter enmity of two nations at war.

Told in the voice of Elias as he looks back upon the long years of his life, About the Night is a timely story of how hope can nourish us, loss can devastate us, and love can carry us beyond the boundaries that hold human beings apart.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

My heart has been shaped by stories like About the Night, which swept me back in time to a divided Jerusalem where two star-crossed lovers meet, changing their lives forever. Love stories are not always straightforward: the stakes are high; each revelation puts the delicate balance between you at risk; you live day to day, in awe of your own vulnerability. Love is longing.

Eighty-six-year-old Elias yearns to reconnect with his past. At last, he is ready to confess the truth of his one great love—a secret he protected throughout a long and seemingly fulfilling life. In spite of appearances, he never forgot Lila, his true love, the woman fate would not allow him to marry. Sparks ignited the moment they met, at a tea party in 1947, while protesters outside decried the presence of the British military on Jerusalem’s streets. During this initial conversation both are breathless, rapt, enthralled. Lila neatly sums up the problems facing her beloved city—and consequently her future with Elias: “These people are nicely dressed, and they stand here clinking glasses, but the city is torn apart and suffering.” And from this inauspicious beginning their relationship faces metaphorical obstacles of politics, faith, family, culture, and war, and the literal obstacle of a stone wall constructed between them. Elias tells the tale of this time, as well as the years that followed, with ferocious intensity, propelled by the relief it gives him to finally reveal the contents of his heart.

For me Don Quixote’s perpetual devotion to Dulcinea is far sweeter than any happily ever after. The passion expressed in About the Night is as intoxicating, the love between Elias and Lila as unforgettable. Steeping myself in such an epic love story reminded me that whatever the odds, true love is always remarkable.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Manabi

We're All Damaged by Matthew Norman [Genre: Modern Fiction]

While comic novels are simply not my thing, for what it's worth, I did read Matthew Norman's earlier book Domestic Violets some years back, and found it entertaining.

[Dngrsone]

The initial reviews for Butterfly Garden were unflattering, so I went with Enemy

[Wearever]

I was interested in the Butterfly Garden too, until I read the review & sample. I went with Time Heals No Wounds instead.