Quite a few goodies to look out for in February’s publishing schedules, certainly enough to offer distraction from the grey gloom that usually prevails in my 
part of the world. I’ll begin with a gem I’ve already read.
Garrett Carr’s adult debut, The Boy From the Sea, continues the seemingly never-ending stream of brilliant Irish writing, opening in a small coastal town with the discovery of a child in a barrel lined with tinfoil in 1973. The boy’s taken in by the Bonnars whose two-year-old never gets over this intrusion, determinedly turning his back on his new baby brother. Carr knows how to spin a captivating story, peppering his narrative with wryly humorous observations, while exploring themes of family ties, community and financial hardship against the background of an industrialising fishing industry. Review shortly…
Elaine Garvey’s The Wardrobe Department follows Mairéad who works in a rundown West End theatre in the early 2000s, dodging groping hands and a bullying producer while learning her trade. She finds herself torn between building a new urban life and a nostalgia for her rural Irish home. ‘Told with rare honesty and equal measures of warmth and bite, The Wardrobe Department is a story about reckoning with the past, finding the courage to change the present – and asking what comes next’ says the blurb whetting my appetite nicely.
Set over a single day in the 1980s after the death of a beloved teacher, Alice Chadwick’s Dark Like Under explores both the shock and grief of the tragedy and the rivalries, flirtations and arguments of everyday adolescent life which threaten to come to a head for three students. ‘Thrumming with life, this luminous debut captures the promise and risk of late adolescence and is a profound exploration of friendship, loneliness and grief’ promises the blurb. This one comes from Daunt’s publishing arm whose list I’ve learnt to keep an eye on.
Jessica Soffer’s This Is a Love Story is about a long marriage between an artist and a writer, played out against a New York City background ticking three of my literary boxes. Jane and Abe met in 1967. She’d excelled in every artistic media she worked while Abe became a prize-winning author. Now, in their final days together, no chance of another remission from the cancer first diagnosed when their adult son was only five, Jane devotes what little energy she has left to recounting her memories of their past to Abe. I’d been expecting a straightforward continuous narrative but Soffer’s novel is largely made up of a string of episodic vignettes, short paragraphs of Jane’s memories narrated for us by Abe. It’s a style that takes some getting used to but it’s worth persevering. Review soon…
A new Anne Tyler is always something to celebrate and Three Days in June turned out to be a treat. It follows Gail whose daughter is about to be married, beginning on the wedding rehearsal day which has already started with bad news then her ex-husband turns up unexpectedly, complete with a foster cat, needing a place to stay followed shortly after by their daughter who promptly drops a bombshell. Tyler unfolds this short novel about marriage, love and relationships through Gail’s voice with characteristic insight, empathy and humour. The novella length suits her well. Review to follow…
As ever, a click on a title will take you to a more detailed synopsis for any that take you fancy.
That’s it from me for this week. I’m off London to catch-up with a few friends, take in a bit of culture and maybe visit a book shop or two.
I like the sound of the Tyler and the Garvey both! (And, actually, the Soffers too.) I’ve already read a few February releases: Henry Lien’s Spring Summer Asteroid Bird: the Art of Eastern Storytelling, and Maggie Su’s hilarious, bittersweet specfic Blob. Lined up are Susan Barker’s creepy-looking Old Soul, Rivers Solomons’s family horror Model Home, and Colwill Brown’s exploration of Yorkshire young womanhood, We Pretty Pieces of Flesh. (And here I was saying I was trying to avoid new releases!)
Ha! Time in the book trade will do that to you. A few to add to my list there. I can vouch for both the Tyler and the Soffers.
Oh dear, now not only has my waistline expanded recently but now my wishlist too! I agree with you that Irish writing is delivering very few disappointments at the moment.
I think we’re all suffering a bit from that! Long may that Irish stream of talent last.
Some really interesting titles, thanks for sharing
You’re welcome. I enjoy putting these posts together!
Some goodies indeed! As a teenager, I worked in the wardrobe department of the National Youth Theatre and I’ve long considered it an underused literary perspective! So, that’s going straight on my list. I adore Anne Tyler and am delighted you enjoyed this one, and both Alice Chadwick and Garrett Carr look most intriguing. Have a great trip to London!
That sounds like a great experience. Lots of potential for fiction, I’m sure. I hope it brings back enjoyable memories.
These all sound tempting but the Garvey is especially enticing! I do love a theatre setting.
It’s surprising that there aren’t more contemporary novels with a theatrical background.
I’m tempted by the Garrett Carr but it’s not yet showing up on the library catalogue. There are so many excellent authors coming out of Ireland its hard to keep up with them all!
Highly recommmend that one. The quality of talent is amazing for such a small island, isn’t it.
I’ve reserved the Carr, the Soffer and the Tyler, all of which are on order in our library service. Thanks!
You’re welcome! As always, I’m delighted to hear your library can deliver the goods.
Garrett Carr is an Irish writer new to me, the storyline sounds innovative. I love Anne Tyler so I will be watching out for this new one. Enjoy London
Thank you! Highly recommend the Carr – I think he’s written YA fiction before.
Whew, glad the Tyler is a good one! I was encouraged to see it’s of novella length. I have it on order via the library.
I thought the novella length suited her very well. Hope you enjoy it!
Very keen to get into the new Tyler – not sure I can wait until Nov Nov to read it though 🙂
Far too long to wait!
I’ve got The Boy from the Sea and Three Days in June from NetGalley. I have a total of 16 or so books for February – oops!
Blimey! I enjoyed both of those very much, and the Tyler’s very short.