All the titles in this second instalment of January paperbacks are new to me starting with Paula Saunders’ debut, The Distance Home, set in ‘60s America. Siblings Rene and Leon excel at dancing but while Rene is a confident over-achiever, her brother is plagued by shyness and a stutter. Each parent favours a different child leading them down widely divergent paths. ‘The Distance Home is the story of two children growing up side by side – the one given opportunities the other just misses – and the fall-out in their adult lives. It is a hugely moving story of devotion and neglect, impossible to put down’ say the publishers promisingly.
Jumping forward a decade but still in America, Tom Barbash’s The Dakota Winters, is set in 1979 New York where twenty-three-year-old Anton Winter returns home after a stint in the Peace Corps to be greeted by his father Buddy. ‘Before long Anton is swept up in an effort to reignite Buddy’s stalled career, a mission that takes him from the gritty streets of New York, to the slopes of the Lake Placid Olympics, to the Hollywood Hills, to the blue waters of the Bermuda Triangle, and brings him into close quarters with the likes of Johnny Carson, Ted and Joan Kennedy, and a seagoing John Lennon’ say the publishers, which sounds intriguing. This one comes garlanded with praise from all manner of writers, from Jennifer Egan to Michael Chabon.
I loved Nickolas Butler’s debut, Shotgun Lovesongs; The Hearts of Men, its follow-up, not so much. I’m a wee bit cautious, then, about Little Faith which tells the story of the family of a young woman and her involvement with a fundamentalist preacher who is convinced her five-year-old son has the power to heal the sick. ‘Set over the course of one year and beautifully evoking the change of seasons, Little Faith is a powerful and deeply affecting novel about family and community, the ways in which belief is both formed and shaken, and the lengths we go to protect our own’ say the publishers, setting us up for more gorgeous descriptions of Butler’s beloved Wisconsin
Elanor Dymott’s Silver and Salt was also a disappointment for me but that hasn’t stopped me casting an eye over her new novel, Slack-Tide. Elisabeth meets Robert four years after her marriage split up when she lost her child, and quickly falls in love with him. ‘Slack-tide tracks the ebbs and flows of the affair: passionate, coercive, intensely sexual. When you’ve known lasting love and lost it, what price will you pay to find it again?’ ask the publishers suggesting that all does not go well.
My last choice takes us away from the US to Berlin. Sophie Hardach’s Confessions with Blue Horses sees Ella and Tobi, now living in London, using the notebooks left to them by their mother to investigate the puzzle of their childhood in the old East Berlin, not least what happened to their little brother. ‘Devastating and beautifully written, funny and life-affirming, Confession with Blue Horses explores intimate family life and its strength in the most difficult of circumstances’ according to the publishers. I remember enjoying Of Love and Other Wars way back in the early days of this blog.
That’s it for January’s paperbacks. A click on a title will take you to a more detailed synopsis for any that have snagged your attention. If you’d like to catch up with the first batch, it’s here; new titles are here and here. See you in the New Year!
Little Faith sounds very interesting Susan – Happy New Year to you!
I’m managing my expectations with that one! A| very happy New Year to you, too, Cathy.
The Dakota Winters sounds very promising indeed. Are you planning to read it, Susan? I’d be interested in hearing more, especially whether or not it lives up to expectations.
I am, Jacqui, although I’ll have to buy a copy first so it may be some time before I get around to it. I’d also like to read his short stories.
I couldn’t resist reading this even though I am trying not to buy too much at the start of the new year (otherwise I will never ever get that TBR down to a reasonable level).
Good luck with that, Karen! After years of wrestling with ever-increasing TBR expansion I limit myself to a certain number of book purchases a month although I do fall off the waggon now and again – Piccadilly Waterstones is often my downfall.
Confessions with Blue Horses sounds good, I certainly love the title.
It does, doesnt’t it. I can’t resist anything with a Berlin backdrop, either.
Little Faith was an interesting read — a fairly quiet plot, but good on characterization and atmosphere. Apart from that, I’ve only read Butler’s short stories. I’ll need to go back and catch up with Shotgun Lovesongs.
I got Confessions with Blue Horses out from the library after it was shortlisted for a Costa Award but haven’t picked it up yet. I’m not sure I’ll manage it before the due date, but I can always get it out another time, particularly if you give it a tempting review!
It was the characterization and beautiful landscape descriptions that I loved in Shotgun Lovesongs that seemed to be missing in Butler’s second novel.
Fingers crossed for Confessions with Blue Horses!
I completely agree on Nik Butler’s books. I’ll probably skip this as it sounds possibly very PC. Blue Horses sounds good. I’ll see what you think first though.
Ah, the weight of responsibility on my shoulders…