The Dust Bowl was also brutal in Nebraska. Karen Russell captures the damage living in this hostile nature can do to one physically and emotionally. Her writing can be as brutal as the storm surrounding her characters. But she also illustrates their perseverance and determination to achieve their goals. Dust murders the sun, becomes tiny knives aimed at the eyes, but the stronger people continue. Those who enjoy history in fictional form will be glad they have read this book.

Four strangers with diverse stories are invited to join an experimental therapy group. As they attend,or opt out of, these meetings, we learn
pieces of their story. At some point, I felt that I was a participant in the meetings of The Seven O'clock Club as author Amelia Ireland asked questions to draw each person out. I found myself connecting with some of these questions. You will be surprised by what you learn about each character and perhaps even a bit about yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed this exploration.

In his Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Hours, Michael Cunningham followed the path set by Virginia Wolfe in taking characters through the minute details of their lifes. His latest book, Day, is a variation on that theme. We still see the details of a morning, an afternoon, and an evening, but each section is a year apart. In so doing, the reader experiences the developing feelings, courses of action taken on those feelings and the ultimate consequences of them from the points of view of 5 year old Violet, her parents, her uncle and several more. I found it a lovely progression of time.

Anne Enright's characters in The Wren, the Wren are formed through their genealogy, no matter their attempts to escape. We begin and end with Nell, the daughter with whom I frequently found myself in conversation: counseling, questioning, objecting to her actions. We shift to her mother and then Phil, the poet grandfather who tells a short story, brutal and concerning. The novel ends with Nell and with our having a better understanding of her. This is an intriguing read by a Booker Prize winner that will leave you thinking long after you've finished the read.

In Mrs. Planksy's Revenge, Spencer Quinn serves up a delightful widow, living the Florida condo life of the wealthy elderly. Unfortunately, her wealth ends up in a small Romanian village where she travels to recovery it. It becomes Mrs. Polansky versus the scammers, not all of whom are unlikable, where a series of ploys, a few perhaps too contrived, lead her directly to a contest for justice. An enjoyable read.

Hawaii with all her natural beauty forms the backdrop for this story of a young widow and her three children trying to begin again in Pieces of Blueby Holly Goldberg Sloane. From mountain hikes to roosting chickens, you will be engaged as each character is taught by and grows through nature. Some of their choices will surprise you because this is not a formulaic novel. I think your book club will enjoy discussing the conflicts and victories of each character. I'm hoping for a follow up.