Our book whisperer, Linda Sullivan, challenges us each week to stretch our reading selections and this week is no different as she recommends two books which will stretch our emotional and social balance when we finish.
Linda’s first recommendation this week: Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins.
Kristan Higgins lives with her firefighter husband and two children in Durham, Connecticut. Higgins has been called “the master of small-town romance” and “the funniest author out there,” by leading publications.
Linda previews this book, “I’ve read some emotional books recently, and this one tops the list. The main character is a young widower, and we follow his grief journey for a year. During that time, we learn about his wife through letters she’s written to her deceased father after her diagnosis with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and to her husband to help him through the first year without her. You’ll experience all the emotions.”
This book is an intimate view of how you keep going after your heart has been broken and as Higgins’ reputation suggests, she delivers a funny, heartwarming and uplifting romance novel in Pack up the Moon.
Linda’s second recommendation: A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum.
Etaf Rum is a Palestinian American novelist who lives in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, with her children. This is her debut novel.
Linda tells us, “This is a difficult but unforgettable story about a conservative Arab family living in America. The focus is on four women who respond very differently to the strict patriarchal culture. Rum’s story elicited many emotions: shock, disbelief, fear, anger, sadness plus some I can’t even name. Read it, but beware of some sensitive triggers.”
Although fiction on the surface, the online reviews reveal readers from the same culture who relate to the characters’ circumstances which makes the novel even more unforgettable.
Remember: Knox County Online Library to search for Linda’s recommendations each week.
All of us have a story and I want to tell yours! Send them to susan@knoxtntoday.com