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Reviews by Cathryn Conroy

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Stella Bain
by Anita Shreve

An Eloquent and Moving Novel About the Emotional Nuances of Memory, Loss, and Love (4/16/2023)

It all started with a lie. It was a spiteful, cruel lie that a vindictive man convinced his young daughter to tell against the father's hated rival. This remarkable novel by Anita Shreve is a lot of things—a psychological tale, a historical novel, a love story—but most of …more

America America: A Novel
by Ethan Canin

A 10-Star Book in a 5-Star World: Superb Novel About the Intersection of Life's Dreams with Reality (4/16/2023)

This is a 10-star book in a five-star world. This exceptionally well-written novel by Ethan Canin has it all: a compelling plot, fully-developed characters that just pop off the page, and a wise philosophical message about how we reconcile our life's dreams and hopes with …more

The End of the Point
by Elizabeth Graver

A Superb Book. It Didn't Keep Me Reading Past My Bedtime, But It Did Dance in My Dreams (4/16/2023)

Chances are, this book won't grab you on page one. It took quite a bit longer than that to pull me into the heart of what is really a simple story and the souls of what are actually quite complex characters. It was definitely worth the wait.

Written by Elizabeth Graver, this …more

The Book of Longings
by Sue Monk Kidd

I Resisted Reading This Book, and I Was So Wrong to Do So. It Is Truly Extraordinary and Reverential (4/16/2023)

Oh, I was so wrong about this book.

Multiple times I resisted buying this book by Sue Monk Kidd, even though I have read her previous three novels and loved them. But there was something about the plot description that made me recoil. ANOTHER book about Jesus's nonexistent …more wife? Give me a break. And then I read a professional book review that changed my mind, and I'm really glad that happened. This is not just another book about Jesus's nonexistent wife. It is so much more. Yes, it is a book about Jesus. His family. His early years before his public ministry began. But most of all, it is a radical portrayal of one woman's voice in a time when women had no power, no position, no privilege—and especially no voice.

It would have been most unusual — as in, it would have defied the most closely held and important expectations of society — for Jesus to not have married. New Testament Scripture actually doesn't say one way or the other if Jesus was married. It wasn't until the second century CE that the first claims were made that Jesus remained single and celibate. (Read the "Author's Note" at the end of the book for more fascinating information on this.)

But what if Jesus did marry? That is the premise of Kidd's book, written in the first person by the woman the author imagined to have married him. Her name is Ana, and unlike Jesus, she comes from an upper-class family. Ana is smart and capable. She is also stubborn, determined, and filled with longings for a life she can never have simply because she is female. She can read and write, and her greatest joy in life, much to her mother's chagrin, is writing stories. Ana is a rebel, who finds it difficult to fit into society as the placid and meek woman she is expected to be. When she meets Jesus in the marketplace, her world is turned upside down. Complicating matters, Ana's father is Herod Antipas's top scribe, and Judas is her (adopted) brother. When Ana's life is threatened by Herod Antipas, she escapes to Alexandria with her beloved aunt, Yaltha, who has a devastating secret of her own, which is the same time that Jesus's active ministry begins.

And finally…the Passion story as portrayed in this book is so emotionally and even physically resonant that I found myself holding my breath as I read. It will forever change the way I hear the Passion every Palm Sunday and during the Stations of the Cross.

The power of this book is twofold: First, the expertly researched, detailed, and absolutely fascinating descriptions of life in the first century are worth the price of the book. Second, Kidd writes with the utmost respect and reverence to fully commemorate and portray Jesus's humanity. And as odd as it may sound, it's totally believable and realistic.

Brilliant and beautiful, as well as richly imagined, this book is a thought-provoking celebration of not only Jesus's life, but also the redemptive power of one woman's voice. And that becomes an acknowledgement to all the women throughout time who were silenced and never heard. (less)

You Play the Girl: On Playboy Bunnies, Stepford Wives, Train Wrecks, & Other Mixed Messages
by Carina Chocano

Smart, Sassy, and Imminently Readable Essays. But Beware! They Are Also Emotionally-Charged (4/16/2023)

When actress Isla Fisher did an interview to promote the movie "Wedding Crashers," she was asked how her appearance in it had changed her career. She said it hadn't, acknowledging there weren't many comic opportunities for women in Hollywood. "All the scripts are for men …more

The Snow Child: A Novel
by Eowyn Ivey

A Delightful Story of Magical Realism That Is Ideal Reading on a Cold Winter Night (4/16/2023)

I first read this magnificent book by Eowyn Ivey in 2014 and reread it now for my book club. It's even better the second time around!

This is a delightful tale mixed in equal parts with fantasy and realism--so much so that it's hard to tell which is which. A childless man …more

The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power
by Deirdre Mask

What Is Your Address? Your Answer Can Reveal a Lot About You—From Your Race to Your Income (4/16/2023)

What is your address? The answer to that seemingly innocuous question reveals more about you than you probably ever considered. This fascinating book by Dierdre Mask explains everything you never knew about what your address means and what it can tell others about you—from …more

City of Girls: A Novel
by Elizabeth Gilbert

A Glittering and Seductive Book: Fun and Sexy, as Well as Deeply Thoughtful and Intelligent (4/16/2023)

What a scrumptious book! It's not only a fun and sexy read, but also it is deeply thoughtful and intelligent—a combination that is not often found in novels, especially ChickLit.

Written by Elizabeth Gilbert (of "Eat Pray Love" fame), this is the story of Vivian Morris, the …more

Hamnet
by Maggie O'Farrell

One of Those Rare Books That Is Both a Literary Achievement and So Good You Can't Stop Reading (4/16/2023)

This is one of those rare books that is both a literary achievement and unputdownable (I love that word!). Magnificently written by Maggie O'Farrell, the prose is so lyrical that many sentences deserve to be reread, but that is only possible if you can stop reading forward …more

Once Upon a River
by Diane Setterfield

Fall into the Magic and Wonder! This Is Old-Fashioned Storytelling at Its Finest (4/16/2023)

Oh, what a story! Imagine sitting beside a wide stone fireplace, a roaring fire within, and a storyteller perched on the hearth ready to spin a tale…a tale that will have you mesmerized for hours even as the embers die down. Yes, that is this book. It is an old-fashioned …more

The Midnight Library: A Novel
by Matt Haig

Boring, Banal, and Predictable: Don't Waste Your Money or Time on This Book (4/16/2023)

Two succinct ways I viewed this novel by Matt Haig:

1. Underwhelmed
I say that because before I even purchased the book, I knew it had been honored with a slew of "best book" picks from Goodreads to "Good Morning America." Based solely on this, I had certain expectations. …more

Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife
by Bart D. Ehrman

Find Out What the Bible REALLY Says About the Afterlife (Hint: You May Be Surprised!) (4/16/2023)

We humans do not know as an absolute scientific fact what happens after death, but we can pretty much surmise that it is one of two things:
1. Nothing. We are dead. Our existence ceases. It is finished. Over. Done. Sweet everlasting dreams.
2. There is an afterlife.

The idea …more

The Evening and the Morning: The Prequel to The Pillars Of THe Earth
by Ken Follett

Read This Incredible Book to Be Entertained. Finish It and You'll Learn About the Dark Ages. (4/16/2023)

Before you start reading this book, here is some advice: Clear your calendar, and stock up on dinner leftovers. You won't want to stop reading. Yes, it's that good.

This prequel to Ken Follett's hugely successful "Pillars of the Earth," begins in 997, which is closing in on …more the end of the Dark Ages in England. The multilevel storyline is riveting with entrancing plot twists and turns, characters so well created they seem like real people, and such detailed and colorful descriptions of the setting—from castles to cathedrals and monasteries to alehouses—that it drops the reader into the middle of the action.

The multiple storylines of love, sex, violence, politics, good vs. evil, and extreme power plays make for a riveting tale. The main characters around which this complex plot revolves are:
• Ragna, the daughter of a wealthy Norman count, falls in love with the English ealdorman Wilfwulf. Her parents reluctantly agree to the marriage, and Ragna moves to the English village of Shiring where a few months after her wedding she discovers a heartbreaking secret her husband has been hiding from her. Meanwhile, she is in a political battle for power against Wilf's formidable brothers and stepmother.

• Edgar is only 17 and a poor workingman, but he knows how to build things—from boats to brewhouses to bridges. In the first pages of the book, a Viking invasion levels his hometown of Combe, and he loses everything except his life. How he rebuilds and comes of age is a central part of the book.

• Aldred, a monk in Shiring, happily labors in a small scriptorium making illuminated manuscripts. Since Aldred is a moral, ethical man who is living in a corrupt society with dishonest superiors, he finds himself in constant conflict as he attempts to do the right thing and is punished repeatedly.

This is fiction. It is a made-up story. It isn't real. But the book's superpower strength is the threads of nonfiction woven throughout. Read this book to be entertained, but when you are finished, you will be just a bit more knowledgeable about what life was like more than 1,000 years ago for slaves, peasants, the working class, women, clergy, and nobles.

And while this is not great literature, it is a great story. It's all plot and not much else. No underlying themes. No imagery or symbolism to analyze. But wow! What a plot it is. Read and enjoy. (less)

Redhead by the Side of the Road
by Anne Tyler

Oh, I Loved This Book! It's Tender, Humorous, Wise, and Just Plain Delightful (4/16/2023)

No one — no one!— writes like Anne Tyler. This, her 23rd novel, is by turns tender, humorous, wise, and just plain delightful. Told with candor and compassion, the story is the literary equivalent of comfort food. The quirky characters, the life lessons, and the essential …more

The Northern Reach
by W.S. Winslow

A Fierce, Intelligent Novel That Grabbed Me from the First Page. Literary Fiction at Its Fines (4/16/2023)

This book grabbed me right from the first page and wouldn't let go. And that's quite a statement because even though this is a novel, it reads more like interconnected short stories. Each new chapter begins a tale about new characters in a different time period, so the fact …more

Elsewhere: A memoir
by Richard Russo

By Turns Hilarious and Heartbreaking, This Is a Soul-Baring Memoir Ideal for Richard Russo Fans (4/15/2023)

This book is for two audiences:

1. Richard Russo fans. If you have read at least one or two of his books, you will recognize the source of some of the characters, places, and storylines. Plus, it's by Richard Russo. Need I say more?

2. Anyone who has had a mother totally …more

The Cruelest Month: Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, #3
by Louise Penny

This Is No Ordinary Murder Mystery! It's Intelligent and Entertaining—A Literary Murder Mystery (4/15/2023)

This is a murder mystery. But as soon as you see it's written by Louise Penny, you know it's no ordinary murder mystery. It's also a story of love and betrayal, hope and horror, rebirth and death. It is a book that is entertaining (see above: murder mystery), but even more …more

The Liar's Dictionary
by Eley Williams

A Curious (Peculiar, Odd, Bizarre) Novel That's Not for Everyone. Buy (and Read) with Caution! (4/15/2023)

In a word, this novel is: creative. And by "creative," I mean just a little weird. Odd. Bizarre. Peculiar. Strange. (Really, really strange.)

BIG WORD OF ADVICE: Before you buy this book, use the Amazon "Look inside" feature and read the preface. Just a few pages (maybe even …more

The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades before Roe V. Wade
by Ann Fessler

A Powerful, Unflinching Historical Account of Being Unmarried and Pregnant in the '50s and '60s (4/15/2023)

This should be required reading for every woman young and old, but especially for women who became teenagers in the 1950s, 1960s, and very early 1970s. This is a heartbreaking, deeply intimate historical account of what happened when girls and young women got pregnant …more before they were married in a society that had zero tolerance for such behavior.

The 1950s were a magical time—on the surface, that is. GIs had come home from World War II, got married, bought homes, found jobs. Their wives stayed home, had babies, and cared for their new families. It was a time of deep conformity. You followed the rules, you did as everyone else did, and you fit in. You were accepted. But if you broke the rules—such as having a 16-year-old daughter who was pregnant—your entire family was shunned.

Because sex education was pretty much nonexistent in the schools or in the home, birth control not available unless you were married (and even then it was sometimes difficult to get), and abortion illegal, girls who found themselves pregnant had one of two options: Get married or give up the baby for adoption. About half did get married. The other half—too young for marriage or whose boyfriends refused to accept responsibility—were typically sent away to have the baby. A convenient cover story was cooked up, and off the girl went to an aunt's or more likely, a maternity home. There she awaited the birth of her baby, and within days (and sometimes hours) the child was taken from her and sent out for adoption. And then the girl was told in no uncertain terms to just go on with her life and forget the birth ever happened. That scenario led to irreparable psychological harm.

This bold book by Ann Fessler is an unflinching account of what happened to these girls who were sent away. The author recounts the sociological history (in VERY readable language) of good girls vs. bad girls, the intense shame they felt, the family's fears, the fear and loneliness of being sent away, and the inevitable search for these lost children. This is alternated with the heartbreaking personal stories of dozens of these women who recall the chilling, disturbing, and deeply sorrowful details of not only being pregnant and hidden away, but also what it felt like to give up a child. Ann Fessler is herself adopted, and begins and ends the book with her own story.

I venture to say that virtually all of us of a certain age know someone who either "had to get married" or was "sent away." This is that friend's story. The story she never shared. And it's the story you need to hear.

This is a powerful, no-holds-barred, and gut-wrenching account of an important slice of women's history. Five stars is not enough to do this book justice. (less)

Interpreter of Maladies
by Jhumpa Lahiri

A Brilliant, Extraordinary Short Story Collection That Is a Delight to Read (4/15/2023)

These nine very different short stories have one thing in common: They are all stories of love and loss, happiness and sadness as people adjust to the human condition. From adultery to abandonment, loneliness to falling deeply in love, each of the stories in this stellar, …more

BookBrowse Book Club

Daughters of Shandong
by Eve J. Chung

Based on the author’s family story, comes an extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ escape from Taiwan.

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Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by Parade and The New York Times Book Review, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

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The Lilac People
by Milo Todd

For fans of All the Light We Cannot See, a poignant tale of a trans man’s survival in Nazi Germany and postwar Berlin.

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