There’s a timeline flowing neatly through this first batch of March titles, beginning with Helen Dunmore’s Birdcage Walk set in 1792 in her home town of Bristol with the French Revolution still playing out across the Channel. Recently married, Lizzie comes from a Radical background but her husband is a property developer whose future prosperity relies on stability rather than the prospect of war and social unrest. John believes not only that Lizzie is too independent and questioning but that she belongs to him by law and must live according to his wishes. A new Dunmore is always a joy and the scene seems set nicely here for an exploration of political and domestic tensions.
Over half a century later, the beginning of the American Civil War is the setting for George Saunders’ first novel Lincoln in the Bardo. The basis of Saunders’ story is the death of Lincoln’s eleven-year-old son and its effects on his father, rumoured to have frequently visited his son’s grave despite the war ravaging his country. ‘From this seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of realism, entering a thrilling, supernatural domain both hilarious and terrifying’ according to the publisher. I’m not entirely sure what to make of that but it’s the novel’s central question – ‘how do we live and love when we know that everything we hold dear must end?’ – together with Saunders’ reputation that makes this one attractive.
Sana Krasikov’s The Patriots moves us on to the 1930s where Florence is desperate to escape her Brooklyn family. A new job and relationship take her to Moscow but she later finds she has no way back. Florence’s actions have repercussions that reverberate down through the generations as her son will find when his own work forces him to investigate his mother’s past. ‘Epic in sweep and intimate in detail, The Patriots is both a compelling portrait of the entangled relationship between America and Russia, and a beautifully crafted story of three generations of one family caught between the forces of history and the consequences of past choices’ says the publisher which sounds much more interesting than your average family saga.
Ayòbámi Adébáyò‘s Stay with Me takes us to Nigeria in the turbulent 1980s where Yejide is desperate for a child. She’s tried everything she knows, from medical consultations to pilgrimage, with no success until finally her in-laws insist on a new wife for their son. ‘Stay with Me sings with the voices, colours, joys and fears of its surroundings. Ayòbámi Adébáyò weaves a devastating story of the fragility of married love, the undoing of family, the wretchedness of grief, and the all-consuming bonds of motherhood’ says the publisher which sounds almost too heartrending to bear. I spotted Naomi over at The Writes of Women raving about this on Twitter last December and so my hopes are high.
That’s it for the first tranche of March goodies. As ever, a click on a title will take you to a more detailed synopsis should you want to know more. Part two follows shortly…
I am curious about Stay with me. 🙂
It sound like a tough read, Resh. I think Naomi may be chairing an event with the author – I’m pretty sure I saw something about that on Twitter. If so, I expect she’ll write a post on it which will tell us more about the book.
Hello, yes I am charing an event with Adébáyò (and Chibundo Onuzo) in March. There are points in the book which are tough but there’s hope in there too. The plotting pulls it along quicker than you might expect too, there’s a shocking twist or three in there as well!
I thought I’d spotted that!
Oh! That’s great. I look forward to the post
I didn’t know there was a new Helen Dunmore; it sounds just my thing too. Excellent. I’ve only heard superlatives about the George Saunders, which has made even me want to read it!
Just starting the Dunmore which I hope will be good. Not at all sure about the Saunders although I’ll probably read it.
Hardly feels like I’ve finished adding to the TBR stack from the Feb edition, when you entice me with a fresh batch of books to look out for… Stay With Me looks great.
Lots more to come, too, Kate.
Another book by Helen Dunmore already?! I can’t keep up!
Stay With Me sounds excellent!
She has been quite prolific of late. This one’s very different, and set a mere 10-miniute train ride away from where I live so of particular interest to me.
Oh, that’s fun!
Now I’m curious – you live in the west country? Whereabouts – I may be able to wave at you from across the Bristol Channel
I live in Bath so a little too far inland for that but I do visit Clevedon now and again. Whereabouts are you?
I’m in South Wales – in the village next to Cardiff airport so look across the channel to Watchet
Quite a lot further south then me, then. I’m very fond of Cardiff but thanks to all the railway engineering works we haven’t been for some time.
I’ll be interested to hear about the reactions to the Saunders. Are you planning to read it, Susan?
I’m not entirely sure, Jacqui. So many other titles I’m eager to read that I may well wait and see how others get on with it.
Another interesting selection Susan. I’ve heard very mixed views about the Saunders today on Twitter, along with an ambivalent review on the Guardian website, but mixed reviews doesn’t always make for a bad reading experience. Still never read a Dunmore but must correct that soon. The Adébáyò has been on my radar for a little while, I’d be interested to hear the thoughts of the blogging community on that one.
Correction: the Slate, not the Guardian: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2017/02/george_saunders_lincoln_in_the_bardo_reviewed.html
Thanks for the link, Belinda. Interesting comment in the review about the terrible timing of the book’s publication.
It may also be a book read very differently by an American audience given what Lincoln means to them. I hope you’ll get around to Dunmore some time. I’ve started this one and it’s shaping up well.
I’m going to put Stay with Me on my wishlist – I do seem to enjoy the books coming from Nigerian authors…..
Interestingly, Stay with Me seems to be the one everyone’s picking up on in this post.
the publishers and the author will be pleased about that!
I’m putting The Birdcage Walk on my wishlist – this is a totally different period of history than is often featured in books.
That’s true, although it’s a very interesting one given what was happening across the Channel and the fact that we didn’t have a similar upheaval in Britain.
I read an ARC of Stay With Me and I thought it was an impressive debut, an insight into a culture I knew little about.
There’s been a lot of interest in this one but you’re the first person who has read it, besides Naomi who alerted me to it in the first place. Definitely worth investigating, then!
Yes, it seems to be appearing on a lot of ‘what’s coming’ lists. Will be interested to see the response when more people have read it.
In case you missed it Naomi is chairing an event with Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and I’m sure will be posting on it at The Writes of Women.
Thanks, will look out for that
I remember seeing positive comments from Margaret Atwood on it as well – that’s good enough for me!
Me, too!