This beautiful writing draws the reader deep into the mind of a 91-year-old living in squalor who is searching the remnants of his memories; after his memory is temporarily restored by a miraculous but toxic drug, he takes action to ensure his legacy.
A legacy of mysticism haunts three generations in this seductively eerie noel, which moves back and forth in time, from the Appalachian Mountains in the 1940's Virginia to present-day New York. -- New York Times
A beautiful, powerful and important novel which imagines five women in contemporary Iran as they converge on a garden on the outskirts of Tehran, seeking to escape the confinements of tradition. The book was originally published in 1989, and Parsipur was jailed for, among other subversive activities, writing about women's sexuality and their quest for independence. She never received any royalties for that first edition, but this new translation will enable her to do so. - Nancy -
Unpacking hundreds of children's books a day, I often don't have a chance to take a look at everything that comes in, but Up and Down caught my eye immediately. Jeffers' watercolor illustrations are simple but beautiful, and the story of friendship and reaching for dreams is touching and funny. Also look for the boy and penguin's previous adventure in Lost and Found. All in all, it's a great book to share.
- Ted -
I usually don't read books about animal rescue because they're too depressing, but this is an exception. Although it's tough at times, Kotler is a journalist and the research he has compiled on animal intelligence is fascinating. Kotler and his wife, the Mother Teresa of dog rescue, take in only the rejects, old, terminally ill or abused and give them the best life they can. Funny, sad and inspiring, it's the best book I've read in years on animals.
- Trish -
Once again, David McCullough brings history alive with his stories of the travels and adventures of many historically important individuals from the early to late 1880s. These mostly white and wealthy men sought the kind of broadening experiences that were not available to them at home, so they traveled to Paris, and this tells the stories of their intellectual and cultural enlightenment while visiting “the old world”.
- Sandra -