"My Brilliant Friend" is the first of four books following the lives of fictional characters, Elena Greco, and her close friend, Raffaella Cerullo (Lila). The other three books are "The Story of a New Name", "Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay", and "The Story of the Lost Child". The books are full of well-crafted characters, with their lives set mainly in Naples. I read all four books back-to-back and loved them. An excellent translation by Ann Goldstein helped. The story carries you along, through ups and downs, but you really need to know how the relationships develop and how their lives pan out. A captivating read, and one I will remember for a long time.
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Now in B-format Paperback
From one of Italy's most acclaimed authors, comes this ravishing and generous-hearted novel about a friendship that lasts a lifetime. The story of Elena and Lila begins in the 1950s in a poor but…
I have read this for the second time in anticipation of the sequel, "Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China". "Wild Swans" follows the lives of the author’s grandmother, her mother, and herself through approximately seventy years of the 20th century in China. It goes through the rise of the Communist Party, the coming of power of Mao in 1949, and then the Great Leap Forward, and finally the Cultural Revolution. The book ends with Chang leaving China to study in the UK. Harrowing at times, but extremely enlightening, it is written by someone who witnessed many of the events described firsthand. Some of the details will make you cringe, but it is a story of resilience and integrity. If you have any interest in the relatively recent history of China, from the fall of the last Emperor, then this is a book you need to read.
Few books have had such an impact as Wild Swans: a popular bestseller which has sold more than 13 million copies and a critically acclaimed history of China; a tragic tale of nightmarish cruelty and an uplifting story of bravery and survival.
Through the story of three generations of women in her own family - the grandmother given to the warlord as a concubine, the Communist mother and the daughter herself - Jung Chang reveals the epic history of China's twentieth century.
Breathtaking in its scope, unforgettable in its descriptions, this is a masterpiece which is extraordinary in every way.
I really enjoyed this book. It would not have been an automatic choice for me if I had been in a bookshop, but I received this as a present. It was captivating and I learnt a lot. Being a biologist myself, I was amazed about the way silk has been developed and used, from a variety of animal sources, and not just Bombyx mori. Prasad writes with knowledge and passion, and brings the story of this amazing material to life.
A Library Journal Selection for Best Nonfiction of 2024
A Next Big Idea Book Club Must-Read for April
“Aarathi Prasad's Silk: A World History is a love song to this protean material. . . . Beautiful [and] fascinating.” —Wall Street Journal
"Aarathi Prasad spins a masterpiece of a story, as luminous, supple, and surprising as the wondrous threads themselves." —Sy Montgomery, bestselling author of The Soul of an Octopus and Of Time and Turtles
Throughout history, across cultures and countries, silk has reigned as the undeniable queen of fabrics, yet its origins…
Having had the privilege and enjoyment of visiting several ski resorts around the world, I wondered if such places would be excellent locations to stage murders. Therefore, it was the grain of an idea I could use as a focus of a book. The main character is a young woman who becomes an assassin, travelling to mountain resorts picking off victims for money. When she decides to retire, she tries to create a quiet life in a small town, but she cannot escape her past. Why did she start killing, and will she ever be caught? When she discovers a book written about her activities she has cause to worry, but will the author ever discover who is behind the ski slope murders? If you do decide to read this book, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it.
