Author Archives: Weston Public Library Staff

How to Be a Family: the Year I Dragged my Kids Around the World to Find a New Way to Be Together by Dan Kois

14 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in 20th century, anecdotes, Biography, Non-fiction, Travel

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Heartwarming, funny, full of good intentions, journalist, Dan Kois is determined to break out of the East coast parenting bubble to find a better quality lifestyle for his wife and two preteen girls.  One year, four locations:  New Zealand, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, and small town Kansas.

“In this highly entertaining and wryly insightful book, Dan Kois shows how elastic the very concept of family is. As he recounts his family’s encounters with four foreign cultures, he illuminates not only those other societies, but also our own. He argues persuasively that we have much to learn from divorcing ourselves from our own assumptions.”―Andrew Solomon, author of Far and Away and Far From the Tree

“Lots of people talk about pulling up stakes and traveling for a year. Dan Kois and his family actually did it. He’s funny and honest about how it all turned out.”―Pamela Druckerman, author of Bringing Up Bébé and There Are No Grown-Ups

“This sometimes hair-raising adventure in family togetherness across many continents took courage even to attempt, and a lively sense of humor to describe. Kois has produced a delightful and eye-opening book about what it means to be a family in the modern world.”―Ian Frazier, author of Family and Coyote V Acme

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Atonement by Ian McEwan

07 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction

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An imaginative 13-year old girl sets off a serious chain of events after she witnesses an interaction between her older sister and a young man. Set in England before and during World War II, this is a beautifully written novel about stories, perception, and memory.

“Brilliant. . . . McEwan could be the most psychologically astute writer working today, our era’s Jane Austen.” —Esquire

“Enthralling. . . . With psychological insight and a command of sensual and historical detail, Mr. McEwan creates an absorbing fictional world.” —The Wall Street Journal

“His most complete and passionate book to date.” —The New York Times Book Review

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Underground Fugue by Margot Singer

31 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by in England, Fiction

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A pleasure to read, deliberate writing – short crisp chapters, surprising twists of good storytelling, memorable characters, and compassionate and tender scenes of mother and daughter.  What else does one need to recommend this a fine book?

“Singer’s novel travels up and down the scale of sorrow, reflecting the musical and psychological connotations of her title…This haunting story…feels suspended in a murky state between memory and presence, happiness and despair.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“An unusually layered debut. In short, taut chapters, [Underground Fugue] alternates between two families who have suddenly become neighbors…When terror strikes, the plot accelerates and the novel’s strands converge brilliantly.” —Publishers Weekly

“I haven’t been able to get Underground Fugue out of my mind. Haunting and breathtaking, this debut sticks, the way good literature always does, because it awakens us to the majesty—all the pain, all the joy—our lives contain.” —Lee Martin, author of The Bright Forever

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She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story that Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey

22 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by in 20th century, Non-fiction

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Two New York Times journalists detail their investigation into Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and his years of sexual assault and harassment. Kantor and Twohey provide a suspenseful, informative look at what it takes to pursue a high-profile story involving many people, some of whom were reluctant to come forward, and how their story set off a national conversation.

“‘She Said’ is riveting and, crafted by two of the country’s most talented journalists, a vibrant, cinematic read.”— CNN 

 “‘She Said,’ a chronicle of the #MeToo era by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, reveals the power of women who, together, refused to stay silent.” – The New Republic

“’She Said,’ a new book detailing the astonishing behind-the-scenes of the New York Times’s bombshell Harvey Weinstein exposé, is an instant classic of investigative journalism. If your jaw dropped at the newspaper’s original allegations against the predatory movie mogul, prepare for it to hit the floor as authors Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey recount how they uncovered the story: secret meetings, harrowing phone calls, private text exchanges with A-list actresses agonizing over whether to go on the record. Ashley Judd plays the stoic warrior; Gwyneth Paltrow, the circumspect liaison who tries to help the reporters find other sources.” – Monica Hesse, The Washington Post

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Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

14 Tuesday Jan 2020

Posted by in Fiction, London

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Hang-on!  Debut sister writers!  17 year old Alaine has stepped off the path to college for now after “the incident”. Join her on her punishment suspension doing community service in her mother country Haiti to which she has never visited. It is a roller coaster of surprises, family secrets, and even a family curse!

“…. Alaine Beauparlant is that rare character who feels like your complicated but indispensable friend, one you wish you could stay in touch with and hear more fascinating and absorbing stories from long after finishing the book.” -Edwidge Danticat, author of Breath, Eyes, Memory

“The Moulite sisters’ well-conceived debut is an alternately funny and bittersweet story of loss, regret, love, and sacrifice… Seamlessly blending story lines and allusions to Haiti’s history and culture, the authors create an indelible, believable character in Alaine-naive, dynamic, and brutally honest-who stretches and grows as her remarkable, affectingly rendered family relationships do.”-Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

“Alaine’s adventures in Haiti were so intense and engaging, I could almost feel the dirt beneath my fingernails, could almost smell the peanuts and plantains. But I think my favorite part was ultimately the female empowerment that permeated every part of this tale, past and present. It left me with a sort of Practical Magic feeling, and that is never a bad thing. Maika and Maritza Moulite have created quite the masterpiece here. I look forward to seeing what they do next!” –Alethea Kontis, NPR

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The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott

03 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction, suspense

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A new writer to follow. I looked forward to every reading moment with this book.  Two gripping narratives unfold – Boris Pasternak’s (Dr. Zhivago) mistress (Olga in life, the inspiration for Lara, the literary heroine for the ages) suffers years in the Gulag rather than betray her married lover.  Second story: 1950’s in D.C and the story of two intrepid women CIA spies (masquerading as typing pool secretaries) who risk their lives to smuggle this manuscript out of Russia believing that one book could change the course of history.

“Through lucid images and vibrant storytelling, Prescott creates an edgy postfeminist vision of the Cold War, encompassing Sputnik to glasnost, typing pool to gulag, for a smart, lively page-turner. This debut shines as spy story, publication thriller, and historical romance with a twist.”—Publishers Weekly (starredreview)

“A whirlwind of storytelling. In Prescott’s supremely talented hands, the result is no less than endlessly fascinating, often deliciously fun as well as heartbreaking.
The Secrets We Kept is a dazzling, beguiling debut.”—BookPage (starred review)

“Delightful… An intriguing and little-known chapter of literary history is brought to life with brio.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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Rough Magic: Riding the World’s Loneliest Horse Race by Lara Prior-Palmer

27 Friday Dec 2019

Posted by in 20th century, Biography, Non-fiction

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If you can accept that there are no maps. no pictures, and 19-year-old Brit “wit/slang” descriptions, you are in for a reading experience (much like Wild and Educated and  A House in the Sky) where a courageous woman takes on big risk, totally unprepared, and out of sheer determination manages to win the 1,000 kilometer horse race (riding 25 horses) in Mongolia.  Fascinating read!

“An inspirational tale of struggle―dehydration, injury and isolation―ultimately overcome through grit and sheer willpower.” ―Thomas Gebremedhin, Wall Street Journal Magazine,

“First-time author Prior-Palmer transforms from hopeless 19-year-old underdog into surprising champion of the grueling 2013 Mongol Derby in this exhilarating, visceral account of her attempt to win a 1,000-kilometer horse race across the Mongolian countryside . . . Filled with soulful self-reflection and race detail, this fast-paced page-turner is a thrill ride from start to finish.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Excellent prose and rigorous honesty . . . An unusual pleasure to read . . . Prior-Palmer writes with a dash and boldness few writers possess; her language seems sui generis . . . Her narrative alchemy is remarkable; in every chapter, she turns boredom to suspense and back again. The Derby is at once heart-stoppingly close and a miserable slog to which we already know the ending. That shifting―heroism to comedy, glamour to stinking holes in the ground―creates a tension far more interesting than the question of who’s going to win the race, or how.” ―Lily Meyer, NPR

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Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

16 Monday Dec 2019

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction

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Moving, intimate, and beautifully written –  a novel that at once reminds us that the most peaceful and ordinary lives can be utterly upended in unimaginable ways. Travel  beneath today’s news headlines with this couple. Their journey is unforgettable.

“Nuri’s story rings with authenticity, from the vast, impersonal cruelties of war to the tiny kindnesses that help people survive it. . . . A well-crafted structure and a troubled but engaging narrator power this moving story of Syrian refugees.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

 “A haunting and resonant story of Syrian war refugees undertaking a treacherous journey . . . Readers will find this deeply affecting for both its psychological intensity and emotional acuity.”—Publishers Weekly

“Great for book club…Christy Lefteri, who volunteered at a refugee center in Athens, tells a powerful story about the refugee experience, hope, and love.” —Real Simple

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Travel Light, Move fast by Alexandra Fuller

10 Tuesday Dec 2019

Posted by in Biography, memoir, Non-fiction

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This is her 4th memoir about her eccentric English family growing up in Africa.  I recommend all the earlier ones: Don’t Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight, Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, and Leaving Before the Rains Come.  This one is her good-by to her father.  Try them all.  Gutsy, humorous, not a bit sentimental.

“Travel Light, Move Fast is a sensitive, meticulously wrought portrait of one family’s sometimes-challenging dynamics, set against an unforgiving African backdrop. Fuller’s beautiful prose juxtaposes the grieving process with the lessons she learned from the man whose adventures shaped her.” —BookPage

“[Fuller’s] family remains endlessly fascinating and delightful companions for long-time readers and new ones alike. . . A gorgeously written tribute to a life well lived and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable loss and grief.” —  Booklist, starred review

“[Fuller] sifted through a lifetime of memories in order to pen this celebration of the man whose profound influence helped shape her own worldview. [She]writes gracefully about embracing grief as an indelible part of the human experience. Another elegant memoir from a talented storyteller.” — Kirkus Reviews

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The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

02 Monday Dec 2019

Posted by in fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, History, United States

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Number one New York Times best seller

Oprah’s Book Club Pick

From the National Book Award-winning author of Between the World and Me, a boldly conjured debut novel about a magical gift, a devastating loss, and an underground war for freedom.

“The most surprising thing about The Water Dancer may be its unambiguous narrative ambition. This isn’t a typical first novel. . . . The Water Dancer is a jeroboam of a book, a crowd-pleasing exercise in breakneck and often occult storytelling that tonally resembles the work of Stephen King as much as it does the work of Toni Morrison, Colson Whitehead and the touchstone African-American science-fiction writer Octavia Butler. . . . It is flecked with forms of wonder-working that push at the boundaries of what we still seem to be calling magical realism.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times

“An experience in taking [Toni] Morrison’s ‘chances for liberation’ literally: What if memory had the power to transport enslaved people to freedom?’ . . . The most moving part of The Water Dancer [is] the possibility it offers of an alternate history. . . The book’s most poignant and painful gift is the temporary fantasy that all the people who leaped off slave ships and into the Atlantic were not drowning themselves in terror and anguish, but going home.”—NPR

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