Reading Lists

Ashenden

By Elizabeth Wilhide
This debut novel follow the stories of the residents of the English estate of Ashenden from 1775 when the house is constructed, continuing through two world wars into the present day. Each chapter is a little vignette, connecting the house and its various residents, both upstairs and downstairs. A good choice for lovers of historical fiction, family sagas, Downton Abbry fans or all 3! Check Our Catalog

The Death of Bees

By Lisa O'Donnell
Two young sisters live in a poor neighborhood of Glasgow. When their parents die within days of each other, rather than report the deaths, the girls decide to live on their own until the older girl is 16. Of course, complications ensue. A neighbor, with problems of his own, steps in to help. This first novel is not all doom and gloom as the author manages to find humor in their difficult lives. Check Our Catalog

Far From the Tree

By Andrew Solomon
In this masterful non-fiction work, Andrew Solomon examines in great detail how exceptional children of every kind impact on their parents. In this well-researched work, Solomon interviews hundreds of parents of children who have fallen a little bit “from the tree,” and how the families have had to cope with such differences as deafness, dwarfism, Down Syndrome, and schizophrenia among others. Parent after parent tells him how they struggled to help their children and how their love for their children often helped them move mountains. You will never think about a “typical” family in the same way after you have read this book. Check Our Catalog

The History of Us

By Leah Stewart
Eloise Hempel’s life changes over night when she goes from being a bright star in academia, starting a professorship at Harvard, to being both mother and father to her sister’s children after the tragic death of their parents. The story starts in 1993, with the two deaths, and picks up in 2010 when Eloise, at 45, thinks she would like to start living her life for herself now that the children are grown. You will have to read the book to see if that actually happens, and how Eloise comes to terms with her current life. Check Our Catalog

The Last Brother

By Natacha Appanah
This book tells the story of the relationship between two young boys living in Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean, during World War II. It is based on the little known fact that during World War II a boatload of Jews fleeing the Nazis was turned away from Haifa by the British, and the refugees were deported to Mauritius until August of 1945. The two boys, one a local and the other a Jewish orphan, know nothing of this. Raj only knows that David is his age, and he wants to help him. These two forge an unforgettable bond during a war on an island where neither of them have any comprehension of what is really going on in the outside world. Check Our Catalog

Me Before You

By JoJo Moyes
A best seller in the United Kingdom, this is a modern day love story with some “Jane Eyre” over-tones. Louisa Clark, a very ordinary 26 year old in a very ordinary small town in England, loses her job in a café and with no real skills, is happy when she is hired by a wealthy woman to help care for her very handsome son who has spent the last two years as a quadriplegic. To the surprise of both Louisa and Will, they overcome their initial hostility, and as Louisa tries to broaden Will’s life to restore his will to live, he tries to open up for Louisa the world that she has never known that has been closed off to him. Both of them find their lives changed by their relationship. Check Our Catalog

The Midwife's Tale, a Mystery

By Sam Thomas
This first novel, written by an historian, is based on the life of an actual midwife in York who lived in the 1600’s. Bridget, in 1644, has to deal with all the difficulties of life in this era including war and living as a widow in a world where women really don’t count. Bridget, who is fortunate to have her own money and a profession, takes on a new challenge. When her friend, Esther Cooper, is arrested, charged with poisoning her husband, tried in absentia and sentenced to burn at the stake, Bridget takes it upon herself to find out who is the real murderer. This is a good murder mystery, as well as a well-written and well researched historical fiction paired with some very strong, independent female characters. Check Our Catalog

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

By Jennifer Chiaverini
This novel focuses on the human relationships based on the real life figures of Elizabeth Hobbs Kekley, a slave who manages to buy her freedom, and Mary Todd Lincoln, the complicated wife of Abraham Lincoln. Chiaverini has done a lot of research and has tried to paint a balanced picture of both Mrs. Lincoln and her dressmaker. The two became very close, but after Keckley wrote her own memoirs, she fell out of favor because she wrote about her “betters.” A fascinating picture of two very different women and their relationship during a turbulent historical time. Check Our Catalog

White Dog Fell From Sky

By Eleanor Morse
This novel takes place in Botswana in 1976, around the time of the death of anti-apartheid activist Stephen Biko, who was killed in police custody. Isaac, a promising medical student, flees from South Africa, where his life in endangered, to the relative safety of Botswana. He has to create a life from nothing, and ends up working for a white American woman photographer. When she returns from a photo shoot and finds that Isaac has been deported to South Africa, she leaves her comfort zone to help him. Their personal story dramatizes the big issues of ecology, politics, borders and race relations. Check Our Catalog