Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray
A review of Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray.
“The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree” by India Hayford
Review of Song of the Blue Bottle Tree by India Hayford with a craft analysis of first and last lines
“Soft Burial” by Fang Fang
Soft Burial by Fang Fang was originally met with critical acclaim upon its publication in China in 2016 and even received the Lu Yao Literature Award, but by May 2017, the work had been denounced and removed from stores.
The novel opens with a nameless protagonist suffering from amnesia since 1952 after being pulled, barely alive, from a river.…
“Black Woods Blue Sky” by Eowyn Ivey
Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey is a beautifully written exploration of the power of love, the pull of nature, and what we risk when we refuse to recognize the truth before us.
For readers wanting to learn more about writing, Ivey demonstrates how slowly revealing a secret adds tension and keeps the reader turning pages.
“The Edge of Water” by Olufunke Grace Bankole
A review and analysis of "The Edge of Water" by Olufunke Grace Bankole.
“The Vanishing Point” by Paul Theroux
Paul Theroux is a prolific author who, at 83, is reflecting on life and aging in his new short story collection, The Vanishing Point. The stories are mostly unrelated (except for the last section, which focuses on the character Andy Parent).…
“Blue Light Hours” by Bruna Dantas Lobato
We’ve all been there – sitting in the blue glow of the screen that holds the image of the loved one we would do anything to have in our arms. Blue Light Hours by Bruna Dantas Lobato is a novel about that unique brand of loneliness.…
“The Road to the Country” by Chigozie Obioma
TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic Violence
The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma is a brutal and honest look at war and genocide. Kunle, the novel’s protagonist, is defined by the guilt he feels over a childhood accident that left his younger brother paralyzed.…
“The Instrumentalist” by Harriet Constable
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.…