Emily I

While the novel is historical, its themes are particularly exigent today. It acknowledges America's troubled past built on the murder of indigenous peoples and fraught with religious persecution despite the promise of religious freedom. Yet it also successfully reflects current divides in our own culture over religion and a strict adherence to a particular doctrine. The novel does not discount religion but rather its fundamentalist tendencies. Therefore, Buckley's combination of humor and histor

Gateway to the Moon connects modern lives to distant ancestors, seamlessly navigating between centuries while addressing universal questions about our need to connect to our past while moving to the future. This novel reaches beyond history; it explores the humanity infused into everyday life, whether in 1492 or 1992.

Delury challenges our assumptions by providing a messy, complicated view of place fraught with individual emotions and stories rather than a cohesive narrative of an inherently benevolent or evil location. In this sense, the estate reflects the characters that tell its story: complex, flawed human beings with both positive and negative qualities. This sweeping generational drama is perfect for readers looking for a modern take on the gothic novel.