For some reason I never got around to reading Peter Ho Davies’ The Welsh Girl which was raved about by all and sundry when it was published back in 2007. There’s been nothing from him since but The Fortunes sounds well worth the wait. Spanning 150 years, Davies’ novel explores the Chinese-American experience through the lens of four characters: Ah Ling, the son of a prostitute, sent alone to California as a young boy in the 1860s; Anna Mae Wong, the first Chinese Hollywood movie star; Vincent Chin murdered in 1982 just because he looked Japanese and John Ling Smith, visiting America to adopt a child. Apparently, Davies has mixed real and fictional characters, drawing on his own mixed-race experience in what sounds like fascinating read.
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan’s debut, Harmless Like You, also explores how it feels to be an outsider, following Yuki Oyama as she tries to forge a career as an artist in the 1960s after her parents have returned to Japan leaving her alone in America. Running alongside Yuki’s story is that of the son she abandoned when he was only two so that she could pursue her art. Buchanan’s novel encompasses New York, Berlin and Connecticut – two of my favourite settings in there which alone would guarantee it a place in this preview but the premise sounds excellent, too.
Hide, Matthew Griffin’s debut, looks at the plight of the outsider from another point of view. Wendell and Frank meet after the Second World War in a depressed textile town in the American South. They decide to cut themselves off from the rest of the world, well aware of the dangers their relationship poses. Decades later, when Wendell finds Frank collapsed outside it seems that the carefully constructed face they present to the world may fracture. Wendell attempts to maintain the façade as Frank continues to deteriorate but ‘faced with giving care beyond his capacity, he must come to terms with the consequences of half a century in seclusion: the different lives they might have lived – and the impending, inexorable loss of the one they had’ say the publishers. This sounds like a heart-wrenching novel, a story that’s to be hoped will play out less and less in real life.
That’s it for the first batch of August goodies. The second will extend far outside of the USA, you may be pleased to hear. As ever, a click on a title will take you to a more detailed synopsis if you’d like to read more.
I’m very much looking forward to The Fortunes – The Welsh Girl was a long time ago!
I was amazed to find it was nearly a decade when I looked it up! This one does sound interesting.
I had no idea Sara Taylor had a novel coming out! The Shore was great, so I’m excited to read her new one. Thanks for alerting me.
You’re welcome, Rebecca. Hoping for great things from it.
Love the sound of The Lauras and ahem, a timely reminder I’ve still got The Shore on my TBR pile! Lucky enough to have a review copy of Harmless Like You and really looking forward to it
Looks good, doesn’t it? I’m sure you’ll love The Shore, Poppy. Wonderful book!
Fantastic selection as always. The Lauras and Harmless Like You both sound particularly intriguing. I’m yet to read The Shore, it’s one of the books on the ‘to get around to’ list, but as ever the list keeps growing and books keep on being bumped back.
Thank you, Belinda. I loved The Shore, as you can probably tell. An ambitious structure for a first novel but Taylor pulls it off beautifully.
I’m very excited about The Lauras – The Shore was a stand-out read for me.
For me, too. Hoping for the same striking writing and cleverly controlled storytelling in The Lauras.
I’m really looking forward to The Lauras and you’ve reminded me that I want to read Harmless Like You, I must add it to my list. Is this the moment to confess that I’ve never read Ron Rash but almost everyone I trust raves about him…?
The Taylor’s definitely top of my list, Naomi. I hope you will read Rash. He has that clean, spare writing style that really presses my literary buttons. I’d recommend The Cove to begin with.
I have a copy of The Cove on my Kindle so I’ll line it up as my bedtime read once I’ve finished The Bone Clocks. Thank you
Excellent!
The Lauras sounds so good – I better hurry up and read The Shore!
You’ve a treat in store, Naomi.
Again, the TBR stack groans as a result of your round-up! 🙂
The Lauras and Harmless Like You both look terrific.
Sorry, Kate! Another batch coming through on Monday…
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