Book cover of No Great Mischief

Book description

Alistair MacLeod musters all of the skill and grace that have won him an international following to give us No Great Mischief, the story of a fiercely loyal family and the tradition that drives it.

Generations after their forebears went into exile, the MacDonalds still face seemingly unmitigated hardships and…

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Why read it?

1 author picked No Great Mischief as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Another book-loving friend gave me a copy of Alistair MacLeod’s No Great Mischief and never having heard of this Canadian writer before, I was intrigued. Then I saw that my friend had written a note–I think to herself–on the inside cover that read, “A great novel.” 

In addition, the book jacket featured praise from Michael Ondaatje, Alice Munro, and Margaret Atwood. So of course I delved right in. And yes!—what a novel. So rich in characters and tales and life and the Gaelic history of a family settling in Cape Breton, Canada. 

This is a generous novel in every respect,…

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Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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