I can’t remember how I found Natasha Solomons. But
once I discovered one of her books, I devoured the rest. And although it’s
difficult for me to choose favorites (in anything!), this is my favorite of
hers… and my year’s favorite.
I’m not old enough to have lived through World War
II, nor have I ever lived in a stately house, English or otherwise. Yet the
challenges faced by composer Harry Fox-Talbot are universally human,
transcending time and nationality.
Love,
betrayal, grief, and redemption are masterfully woven through a compelling
narrative that remains intimate, even as it spans more than half a century, one
that was so compelling and personally relevant that I got through all thirteen
hours of James Langton’s expert narration in less than a week!
From the New York Times bestselling author of The House at Tyneford comes a captivating 1940s English country novel of a love triangle, family obligations, and rediscovering joy in the face of grief—perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Downton Abbey.
New Year’s Eve, Dorset, England, 1946. Candles flicker, a gramophone scratches out a tune as guests dance and sip champagne—for one night Hartgrove Hall relives better days. Harry Fox-Talbot and his brothers have returned from World War II determined to save their once grand home from ruin. But the arrival of beautiful Jewish wartime singer Edie Rose tangles the…
What draws me to any novel is its characters — people
who are so well-drawn and real-seeming that I can almost imagine sitting down with
them over a cup of coffee or glass of wine… people who are at the same time
sympathetic and flawed… people who face challenges I identify with. And if
they’re a bit quirky and eccentric (like me!), so much the better.
Moreover, if
any part of those characters’ stories is set at least partly in a place I love
(Italy, in this case), I’m easily hooked. Beautiful Ruins covers all those
bases!
I didn’t want this book to
end. I was especially reluctant to say goodbye to its characters… including a
fictionalized and delightfully raffish Richard Burton.
The #1 New York Times bestseller—Jess Walter’s “absolute masterpiece” (Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author): the story of an almost-love affair that begins on the Italian coast in 1962 and resurfaces fifty years later in contemporary Hollywood.
The acclaimed, award-winning author of the national bestseller The Financial Lives of the Poets returns with his funniest, most romantic, and most purely enjoyable novel yet. Hailed by critics and loved by readers of literary and historical fiction, Beautiful Ruins is the story of an almost-love affair that begins on the Italian coast in 1962...and is rekindled in Hollywood fifty years later.
As have most of her readers, I discovered Donna Leon
through her Guido Brunetti mysteries, which
are largely set in Venice. Leon’s Brunetti is a complex character, a
quintessentially Venetian blend of cynicism and empathy that, now having read
these essays, is clearly a reflection of his creator. That revelation didn’t
only enrich my reading of the Brunetti stories; it offered insights into Leon’s
craft, something the novelist in me always welcomes.
Yet that isn’t why I
picked up My Venice. I’ve longed to return to Venice ever since I fell
in love with it decades ago. And if Leon (an American expat now
living in Venice) couldn’t transport me there physically, she did the next best
thing with this insider’s chronicle of one of my favorite places.
Donna Leon has won a huge number of passionate fans and a tremendous amount of critical acclaim for her international bestselling mystery series featuring Venetian Commissario Guido Brunetti. These accolades have built up not just for her intricate plots and gripping narratives, but for her insight into the culture, politics, family-life, and history of Venice, one of the world’s most-treasured cities, and Leon’s home for over thirty years. Readers love how Leon opens the doors to a private Venice, beyond the reach of the millions of international tourists who delight in the city's canals, food, and art every year.
What if speaking or
writing the words “once upon a time” got you jailed…or killed?
That’s the situation in Q’ntana, where stories are banned, storytellers are exiled or executed,
and the moon, saddened by the silence, has cried tears that have extinguished
her light.
Now, one young bard
must come out of hiding to embark on The MoonQuest, the long-prophesied journey
to restore story to the land and light to the moon. He sets off reluctantly and
with no clear direction, knowing only that it’s the stories he tells from his
heart that will guide him and keep him safe, even as he’s relentlessly pursued by the King’s Men — black shirts,
black masks, and black mounts surging toward him through the black night.
