Master Slave Husband Wife: an Epic journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo

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This book presents the remarkable true story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped slavery through daring, determination, and disguise, with Ellen passing as a wealthy, disabled white man and William posing as “his” slave.

“Master Slave Husband Wife, like all of the truly great American stories, spent over a century lying in wait, desperate to be told. Enter Ilyon Woo.  Ellen and WIlliam Craft loved each other, but also loved freedom, and knew one was impossible without the other.  And so they embarked on one of the most daring feats ever attempted in American history, a breathless story captured with breathless prose, and we readers gasp in amazement and wonder at the tragedy and triumph.” — Marlon James, winner of the 2015 Booker Prize

“A gripping adventure. . . . suspenseful and wonderfully told.  A captivating tale that ably captures the determination and courage of a remarkable couple.” ― Kirkus Reviews (starred review

“For those of us who already were familiar with Ellen and William Craft, we’re so grateful for this reconsideration of this courageous couple’s story. Ilyon Woo has accomplished a phenomenal feat, presenting previously unpublished archival excavations. Certainly, this is an essential addition to early African American studies—but more than research, Woo offers the Crafts’ travels with such grace, such tenderness. Here is a necessary rendering of Black love, Black resilience, and Black humanity during one of our nation’s most fraught times.” — Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois)

“A narrative of such courage and resourcefulness it seems too dashing to be true. But it is. . . . The story is so richly dramatic, and Ms. Woo so skilled at spinning it out, that at times it’s a genuine nail-biter.” — Priscilla M. Jensen ― The Wall Street Journal

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Touch by Olaf Olafsson

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Kristofer is forced to close his successful restaurant in Iceland due to Covid and suddenly decides to go to Japan after receiving a message from a woman he hadn’t heard from since the 60’s.  Both a gut-wrenching love story and a mystery, I was riveted to the last page.

“The gratifying ending is hopeful. [Touch] adds up to an affecting story about the sway one’s past can hold on the present.” — Publishers Weekly

“Olafsson’s treatment of the vast cultural chasm between Icelander Kristófer, and Miko…brings suspense and heartache to the reader.” — Library Journal

“Delicate, absorbing…Touch is weighted with questions about love, memory, and intergenerational trauma–reaching a denouement as satisfying as it is moving.” — Vogue

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The Girl Who Taught Herself to Fly: a Memoir by Kwan Kew Lai

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The author will talk IN-PERSON at the Weston Public Library May 25, 2023 7 pm.

“Kwan Kew and I trained together in infectious disease in Boston, and although I knew she was an extraordinary physician I had no idea how far she had come from her impoverished and incredibly difficulty childhood in Malaysia. This poignant memoir, beautifully written and filled with humor and pathos, portrays a world few of us can imagine. That such an incredible doctor and writer could emerge from such challenging beginnings is a testament to the human spirit, or perhaps to her unique spirit. I could not put this memoir down.” Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone

“A graphic testimony to Malaysian colonial/postcolonial communal differences, resistance to Chinese gender inequities, and U.S. immigrant opportunities-Kwan Kew Lai offers us a triumphalist survivor’s memoir.” Shirley Geok-lin Lim, author of Among the White Moon Faces, recipient of the American Book Award

“An evocative story of Kwan Kew Lai’s childhood in post-World War II Penang. She so beautifully shows how her background gave her the drive to soar to new heights and gain entry into one of the most prestigious colleges in the US. A must-read!” Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Good Chinese Wife, co-editor of Hong Kong Noir

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Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

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This was sadder than I expected, but I enjoyed this family saga of four sisters growing up near Chicago. 

“This sumptuous family saga is one of those rare novels whose singular characters are so beautifully rendered, it’s as if they’re your best friends, and you’re grateful to be in their orbit. Napolitano’s homage to Little Women, albeit set in late-20thcentury Chicago, will prompt you to slow down as you read, never wanting the book to end. When it does, prepare for tears.”—Oprah Quarterly

Hello Beautiful will make you weep buckets because you come to care so deeply about the characters and their fates. . . . [Napolitano] compels us to contemplate the complex tapestry of family love that can, despite grief and loss, still knit us together. She helps us see ourselves—and each other—whole.”—The Washington Post

“Radiant and brilliantly crafted . . . Napolitano’s [work] resists the easy satisfactions of the sentimental and never settles for simple answers to emotional predicaments faced by her characters.”—The New York Times Book Review

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Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

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Quirky and silly – at times a little convoluted – but still great fun! Felt like an Australian “Knives Out”.

“I absolutely LOVED it. It’s so engaging, entertaining and charming. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like it. It was SUCH a fun read.”  — Marian Keyes

“Exceptionally clever and amusing. … Stevenson carries off this tour de force with all the aplomb of a master magician who conducts his tricks in plain view.”? — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Exceedingly clever… Read it once for fun and then again to see how it was done.” — CriminalElement.com

“I absolutely loved it. Utterly original, hugely entertaining, and a must-read for every fan of the mystery genre. What an exceptionally fresh, smart, funny book—I’ve never read anything like this before.” — Jane Harper

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All the Broken Places by John Boyne

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Ever since the author wrote his bestseller, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas he knew he would one day write the story about his older sister, Gretel.  I could not put this book down – it’s the best I have read in ages!

“When is a monster’s child culpable? Guilt and complicity are multifaceted. John Boyne is a maestro of historical fiction. You can’t prepare yourself for the magnitude and emotional impact of this powerful novel.”—John Irving, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The World According to Garp

“Clear your calendar. Get All the Broken Places and just don’t make any plans, other than to read and read and read.”—Washington Blade

“A powerful novel about secrets and atonement after Auschwitz… All the Broken Places is a defence of literature’s need to shine a light on the darkest aspects of human nature; and it does so with a novelist’s skill, precision and power.”—The Guardian

“What an incredible feat of storytelling. All the Broken Places is a stark confrontation of evil, an examination of guilt and deflection, and an old-fashioned page-turner. John treads the finest of narrative lines with skill and grace and proves himself yet again to be among the world’s greatest storytellers.” —Donal Ryan, #1 international bestselling author of The Queen of Dirt Island and Strange Flowers

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All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley 

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A beautifully written memoir about a man who goes to work as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art after the death of his brother to help deal with his grief. The book is also full of his observations on the museum’s amazing art collection, and the interesting people he meets and works with.

“Exquisite… A beautiful tale about beauty. It is also a tale about grief, balancing solitude and comradeship, and finding joy in both the exalted and the mundane.” —The Washington Post

“An empathic chronicle of one museum, the works collected there and the people who keep it running — all recounted by an especially patient observer.” —The New York Times Book Review

“As rich in moving insights as the Met is in treasures, All the Beauty in the World reminds us of the importance of learning not “about art, but from it.” This is art appreciation at a profound level.”—NPR


“This absorbing memoir is also a beautifully written manual on how to appreciate art, and life. It’s a must-read for art lovers” —Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring

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Foster by Clair Keegan

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Just 95 pages……. Keegan’s short stories are now being published as stand-alone books. Her work is a staple on school curriculums. She can tell a story in a paragraph. What she notices is honed to such precision.  Her 2021 novella , Small Things Like These at 114 pages is shortlisted for the Booker Prize.  Treat yourself.

A story of astonishing emotional depth, Foster showcases Claire Keegan’s great talent and secures her reputation as one of our most important storytellers. (Amazon)

“As good as Chekhov.” — David Mitchell

“An immensely powerful snapshot novel…this work mines the recesses of human fragility with a compassionate and deft pen, its combination of simple language and sweeping empathy landing with the force of a saga…a rich, compassionate work.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Pristine… Both concise and gut-wrenching. [Keegan’s] superficially simple prose persuasively conveys a child’s sometimes-innocent but always careful and insightful observations of the world…A heartbreaking but deeply humane story about parents and children.” — Kirkus, starred review

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Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra 

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April 2023 “Novels and Night” book club choice at the Weston Public Library

“Mesmerizing…At the heart of Malhotra’s sweeping debut novel is an indelible love story…A transcendent study of the blurring of personal and political, as ordinary people deal with catastrophic historical events.”―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“At once sweeping and intimate. With gorgeous prose and careful research, Malhotra brings to life a world rich with Indian perfumery, Urdu calligraphy, and a romance that defies time and space. A stunning book that reminds you of what it is to fall in love.”―Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of Four Treasures of the Sky

“A long and luxurious tale of love, loss, memory, and place, told against a backdrop of tumultuous historical events…It will be difficult indeed to forget this exquisite story.”―Library Journal (starred review)

“A majestic, evocative exploration of the persistence of memory and the human connections that transcend even death.”―Booklist (starred review)

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Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

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March 2023 book selection for the “In the Mood for Love Book Group” at the Weston Public library

“I loved this novel―it’s so big-hearted and earthy and funny. Best of all, it turns many preconceptions upside down, and opens up a world that so many of us have only glimpsed. A rattlingly good story.” — Deborah Moggach, author of THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

“Jaswal tackles serious themes (arranged vs forced marriage, traditional vs modern culture) with a light and funny touvh. A page-turner your commute will thank you for.” — Glamour Magazine

“By turns erotic, romantic, and mysterious, this novel of women defying patriarchial strictures enchants.” — Kirkus Reviews

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