There were so many things to love about The Lion Women of Tehran (publication date July 2, 2024) by Marjan Kamali, including long-lasting female friendship, the historical setting in 1950s and 1960s Iran, and beautiful writing. I was immediately enthralled by the story of 7-year old Ellie (Elaheh), the only child of a widowed mother,Continue reading “The Lion Women of Tehran”
Tag Archives: historical fiction
Clark and Division, and Evergreen
Clark and Division (2021) and Evergreen (2023) by Naomi Hirahara are a pair of satisfying historical mysteries beginning around World War II, centering on Aki Ito and her family. As Clark and Division opens, Aki and her family–father, mother, and older sister Rose, are living in their home in Southern California with their golden retriever,Continue reading “Clark and Division, and Evergreen”
The Fox Wife
The Fox Wife (2024) by Yangsze Choo (The Ghost Bride, The Night Tiger) completely charmed me from the second page with these lines: I exist as either a small canid with thick fur, pointed ears, neat black feet, or a young woman. Neither are safe forms in a world run by men. Thus we meetContinue reading “The Fox Wife”
The Road to the Country
The Road to the Country (pub. date June 4, 2024) is Chigozie Obioma’s third book and probably his most ambitious. If you want to read a superbly-written historical novel about a war that a lot of the Western world is not familiar with, I highly recommend it. His first two novels were Booker Prize finalists,Continue reading “The Road to the Country”
Learned By Heart
Learned by Heart (2023) is the latest beautifully-written novel by Emma Donoghue (Room. The Wonder). It’s a fictional retelling of the story of Eliza Raine and her relationship with Anne Lister. Lister kept extensive diaries, is known as “the first modern lesbian,” and is the subject of the 2-season HBO series Gentleman Jack. Set primarilyContinue reading “Learned By Heart”
Lessons in Chemistry
I loved Lessons in Chemistry (2022) by Bonnie Garmus and have no idea why it took me so long to get to it! Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in 1959, at a research firm in southern California. She meets Calvin Evans, the hotshot of the office, when she appropriates beakers from his lab because, asContinue reading “Lessons in Chemistry”
Salt Houses
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan (2017) told the story of one Palestinian family over multiple generations, beginning in the late 1960s through the 2010s, centered around Alia and her husband Asif, who is best friends with Alia’s brother Mustafa. Alia and Mustafa’s mother is forced to leave with the Six-Day War in 1967, and MustafaContinue reading “Salt Houses”
Big Girl
I have complicated feelings about Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan (2022). First, I am glad that a novel about the coming of age of a fat, black, young girl in 1990’s Harlem was written. The author did an amazing job with the story of Malaya and her family (her mother, Nyela, is a professor,Continue reading “Big Girl”
A Council of Dolls
Wow. There are few other words that do justice to A Council of Dolls, by Mona Susan Power (publication date August 8, 2023). Told in multiple perspectives over several time periods in the late 1800s and through the 1900s, each of the storylines involves a doll given to the little girl that is the mainContinue reading “A Council of Dolls”
The Sea Elephants
The Sea Elephants (publication date July 11, 2023) by Shastri Akella is the book about grief, queerness, Hindu mythology, and street theatre that I had no idea that I needed. It’s beautifully written, and though it’s not a short book, I wished that I could stay immersed in Shagun world longer. As the book opensContinue reading “The Sea Elephants”
Reading While Fat 