“Departing at Dawn” by Gloria Lisé (Argentina) Review With its subtitle “A Novel of Argentina’s Dirty War”, readers said they found the story to be completely different from what they had imagined. Instead of getting details of the horrors of a military dictatorship, which is what they had been expecting, readers felt they were given an introspective and interesting look at life in that context from … Continue reading Departing at Dawn
“Map of the Invisible World” by Tash Aw (Malaysia) Review Intriguing, colourful and touching are some of the words that readers used to describe this story set at the beginning of Indonesian independence. They agreed that the author painted a vivid picture of life both in the countryside and in the city during these turbulent times. One reader found it somewhat confusing because of the change in … Continue reading Map of the Invisible World
“Black Mamba Boy” by Nadifa Mohamed (Somalia) Book Club Favourite of Season 16 Review Readers enjoyed this story describing it as somewhat similar to a tale where the hero is faced with many difficulties on his journey, but who also meets lots of kind people along the way. They warmed to the protagonist from the start and enjoyed following him as he grows from a young boy in … Continue reading Black Mamba Boy
“Pure” by Andrew Miller (U.K.) Review Although they thought the historical setting of pre-French revolution was bleak and desolate, readers found this book highly enjoyable and looked forward to delving into it. They liked the language and style, finding it well written with interesting characters, evocative descriptions and a good plot. They quickly warmed to the protagonist and found the interplay between him and the other characters captivating. … Continue reading Pure
“Malinche” by Laura Esquivel (Mexico) Review There were mixed reactions from readers about this book. Some liked it while others found it tedious. Those who liked it enjoyed the historical characters and the descriptive passages about the customs and ways of life of the Indian peoples. They also liked the relationship between Malinalli and her grandmother, which they described as tender. They felt it was in … Continue reading Malinche
The four shortlisted books for this year’s Summer Reading Group all had very different writing styles and, as a result, our summer readers were divided over them! So it was no surprise that, when it came time for voting for Best Summer Read 2012, two books tied for first place: “Open City” and “Please Look After Mother” “Open City” by Teju Cole (Nigeria) is a … Continue reading Best Summer Reads 2012
“Irma Voth” by Miriam Toews (Canada) Review This book was one of the four selected titles for our Summer Reading Group 2012 Nicola chose the novel “Irma Voth” by Miriam Toews (Canada) as her Coup de Cœur Summer 2012. Set in Mexico in a Mennonite community, the story is narrated by 19-year-old Irma who not only gets married, but also takes a job with a … Continue reading Irma Voth
“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe (U.S.) Review Written in 1839, some readers grappled with the language of this classic Gothic tale and found themselves turning to a dictionary on numerous occasions. They didn’t mind that so much because, since the story is short, it prompted them to read it a few times. After that they started to really enjoy … Continue reading The Fall of the House of Usher
Nicola's Book Club 