In 18th-century Venice, female babies of prostitutes are commonly drowned in the canals, but a lucky few are placed through a box in the wall of the Ospedale della Pietà. Inside, the girls are given music lessons from a young age, and those who excel can escape the fate of being married off to anyone who will have them.…
“The Coast Road” by Alan Murrin Review
In 1994, divorce was illegal in Ireland. Alan Murrin’s “The Coast Road” is set in a small town where the law, gossip, and societal pressures trap women in unhappy marriages.
Colette Crowley, a poet who fled to Dublin to be with a married man, returns to town, disrupting the delicate equilibrium of several relationships.…
“The Harvesters” by Jasmina Odor
The Harvesters by Jasmina Odor is a beautifully written novel that asks the reader to slow down and examine the power of memory and the desire to harness the future. Odor creates a character study dealing with immigration, what it means to belong, and the role we play in our lives.…