It really could be a master class on writing memoir. It is that stunning. You enter Florence King’s world and she keeps you there, spellbound with her discussions about “malkins”, “watery moles” and “viragos” (IYKYK) along with fascinating depictions of everyday life in Washington, DC, in the first half or so of the twentieth century——with a twist. The twist being the almost fantastical eccentricities of her Southern family.
Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady is Florence King's classic memoir of her upbringing in an eccentric Southern family, told with all the uproarious wit and gusto that has made her one of the most admired writers in the country. Florence may have been a disappointment to her Granny, whose dream of rearing a Perfect Southern Lady would never be quite fulfilled. But after all, as Florence reminds us, "no matter which sex I went to bed with, I never smoked on the street."
This was a lovely slice of life read with the captivating setting of rural Japan at the start of World War II along with a coming of age plot. It was a very poignant reminder that life is filled with goodbyes and how we acknowledge and accept that can make all the difference.
On the eve of the Second World War, a young Chinese man is sent to his family's summer home in Japan to recover from tuberculosis. There he meets four local residents, and what ensues is a classical yet wonderfully unique adventure that seizes the imagination with its clean, simple yet dazzling storytelling.
I'm not usually drawn to modern day retellings of classics but, as a Jane Eyre and gothic thriller fan, I was drawn to this one. And was not disappointed in the least. I loved the loose use of the original novel's framework especially the cheeky and clever naming of the characters: Eddie Rochester, Bertha nicknamed Bea and, of course, Jane used as an alias. The taut and riveting plot kept me reading until the end and then sent me out immediately to find more by this author.
The Top 10 New York Times bestseller
'I was completely blown away by The Wife Upstairs. This is a compulsive, irresistible retelling of Jane Eyre with a modern, noir twist - and wow, does it work' Samantha Downing, bestselling author of My Lovely Wife
Stylist's best paperbacks of 2021
Hello Magazine's best new books released in 2021
A girl looking for love... When Jane, a broke dog-walker newly arrived in town, meets Eddie Rochester, she can't believe her luck. Eddie is handsome, rich and lives alone in a beautiful mansion since the tragic death of his beloved wife a year…
Miranda falls in love with her dream house but soon discovers it’s an affair with complications. A lot of them. Rosewood is a centuries old, tumble-down, gambrel roofed charmer located in an isolated, coastal corner of Virginia referred to as "strange". Known for long-standing and antiquated customs, an almost indecipherable brogue and possible witchcraft connections, Miranda shrugs all locational concerns aside to pursue her new love.
When an archeological dig is undertaken at the property, a mysterious find is uncovered, a blue witch bottle. With this discovery, Miranda soon finds her life unravelling as a series of incidents commence that go beyond just “bumps in the night”. Awakened one night by the eerie glow from a ring of fire around her house, Miranda must decide. Should she leave Rosewood or stay---and potentially pay the ultimate price?
