I always expect to enjoy Andrew Sean Greer’s novels more than I do but that probably won’t stop me reading Villa Coco. A young man is under the impression he’s to catalogue the contents of a beautiful if dilapidated Tuscan mansion owned by a wealthy widow but finds his days filled with all manner of other things, not least getting in the way of Coco’s plan to track down the long-lost love of her life. ‘As summer turns into autumn and the Italian countryside begins to work its magic on our protagonist, the secrets of Villa Coco and its inhabitants are slowly brought to light – and with them, an unforgettable story of the enduring power of friendship’ according to 
Silvia Avallone’s Dark Heart is also set in Italy but that’s where the similarity ends. Emilia has chosen the isolation of a small Piedmontese village to punish herself for the terrible crime she’s committed. Bruno, her nearest neighbour, is also living in solitude after a dreadful loss. An unlikely connection forms between these two, threatened by the resurfacing of Emilia’s secret. ‘From bestselling Italian literary sensation Silvia Avallone, Dark Heart is the shocking, deeply moving story of trauma, love and forgiveness, set against an unforgettable mountainous backdrop’ according to the blurb all of which may sound a little overwrought, but I can’t resist that setting.
The Children is YA author Melissa Albert’s first novel for adults which features a children’s author whose bestselling series has inspired readers throughout the world. With both parents long dead in a terrible fire, Edith’s daughter is publicising her memoir recalling an idyllic childhood while beset with anxiety that her estranged brother, now a notorious artist, may be about to destroy the family image she’s carefully crafted. ‘Told in alternating narratives between 1990s Vermont and present-day New York, The Children is a twisting narrative of family secrets and long-held resentments, which asks whether we can ever really exorcise the ghosts of a childhood forsaken in favour of a parent’s artistic vision’ according to the blurb. Not entirely sure about this one but I’m intrigued enough to give it a try.
Mary H.K. Choi’s Pool House has summer reading written all over it but it’s the Hollywood angle that attracts me. It follows a mother and daughter, one desperate to escape the spotlight, the other poleaxed by the death of her lover and TV husband. Close to broke, neither Stevie nor her mother can afford to live alone, renting their home out to make ends meet and moving into the pool house in its grounds. Things come to a head when Moon’s TV son arrives for the funeral reigniting Stevie’s girlhood crush. ‘Hilarious, biting and unexpectedly moving, Pool House is a brilliantly observed novel about the complexities of love, sex, fame, family and grief, and an unforgettable portrait of two women grappling with what it means to grow up and grow older in Hollywood’ say the blurb. This one could go either way but I’m hoping for some enjoyable entertainment.
The Typing Lady is Ruth Ozeki’s first short story collection. Comprising eleven pieces, it sounds very inventive, ranging from a Beat poet who finds his way into a publishing assistant’s head and proceeds to rant about modern literature to a grandmother who spies on her granddaughter via a dating app with uncomfortable results. ‘Spanning eras and geographies, The Typing Lady is an electrifying meditation on the stories we tell ourselves, the stories we abandon and the stories we become’ promises the blurb. Looking forward to this one.
That’s it for June’s first batch of new fiction. As ever, a click on a title will take you to a more detailed synopsis for any that take you fancy. Part two soon…
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Thank you. I’m an Ann Patchett fan too so will look out for this one – but yes, weird cover!
You’re welcome. It’s relevant to the novel but somehow looks like an amateur daub.
The Hollywood setting of Pool House is really tempting, but I’m not sure… hopefully it works well!
Possibly a bit too fluffy, given that cover, but I might give it a try.
Several possibilities here! I’ve yet to try Greer but Villa Coco’s setting is enticing — perhaps this will be the year I finally get around to one of his novels. And — I always check out Ann Patchett, but oh my heavens — that cover!
Tuscany’s very tempting, isn’t it. When my Whistler proof arrived I thought that was a temporary cover but, sadly, not.
I agree the Patchett deserved a better title and cover. Brilliant book, though.
I, too, will look forward to Ozeki’s short stories. It will be interesting to see how she works in that form, as her novels tend to be so long. Sigrid Nunez is another author who’s publishing her first story collection this year. I liked it but was ever so slightly disappointed compared to her novels.
It is, and I’m sure the cover won’t hold it back. Ah, sorry to hear that about the Nunez. I’ll temper my anticipation.
I’m a sucker for a swimming pool front cover – so Pool House goes onto my list to look out for. I’d already clocked the Greer – should be fun.
Fingers crossed for the Greer. I’m taking the opportunity to give Andrew Porter’s The Imagined Life which I loved a little plug in case you’ve not come across it. It also features a swimming pool on the cover
Pool House has gone straight on the list! The Greer also sounds fun.
The Choi sounds like an enjoyable slice of entertainment, doesn’t it. Tuscany’s a strong draw with the Greer.
The first two sound great. Pool House is a maybe. The cover is great.
It does shout summer at you. Very much enjoyed the Patchett.
I have the Ozeki tbr but I don’t love short stories so am unsure about it to an extent …
I do sympathise with that. I’m now a keen short story reader but used to avoid them.
I am looking forward to reading Patchett’s new book. Agree with you about the cover, meh! I liked Greer’s two books about the protagonist Less.
I can’t imagine what the design people were thinking of! At least the contents didn’t disappoint.
Looking forward to Whistler – and I quite like the cover! I used to be a big Ruth Ozeki fan but I found her last novel so frustratingly twee that I’m now hesitant about the short story collection – especially given the way it’s been jacketed.
I’m glad someone does! I’ve not read the last Ozeki but I like the sound of the short stories.
Ozeki’s earlier work is great – I loved My Year of Meats and A Tale For The Time Being.
My Year Year of Meat is definitely my favourite.
Loved reading here about the Beat poet in the Ozeki. I’m really keen to grab this one! I liked A Tale for the Time Being. The Melissa Albert sounds interesting but I’m hesitating.
It’s a great idea, isn’t it. I’m not at all sure about the Albert but have a review copy so will probably try it.