The titles and links below will direct you to print copies when available. Click on the title to see all available formats, including recorded versions and eBooks.
You can learn more about using eBooks and eAudiobooks on our blog, and contact us if you need assistance. *Restrictions to using Hoopla apply based on your home address.
What's a fully rigged boat doing in a shed far from the Australian coast? It was the dream of an early McBride to take a voyage, but the clan is now running a very large sheep farm in the late '50s that takes all their energy. An accident decimates the family, leaving the mother Lorne, her daughter Rose, and her son Matt who survived the crash but is struggling with brain damage. The weight of secrets and guilt haunt them, especially when Rose dies in a fall down a mineshaft, leaving an infant son. The question of his paternity is a big one. Stedman excels in creating atmosphere—oh, that beautiful, strange landscape down under, as well as rich characterizations of people in trouble. Finally, a fully satisfying read!
Tom and Anna are hip. They've moved from Italy to Berlin, work at clever, freelance jobs, fill their charming apartment with many plants, and circulate among others like them at gallery openings and parties. Indeed, it seems like the perfect life, but when the inevitable cracks start to appear, their plans start to go awry. Trips to Greece and beyond deliver increasing disappointment, with funky accommodations and tedious, tourist-ridden towns. At the end, it's back to Italy, applying their well-honed influencer skills to get back in the groove. Arch reflections on thwarted thriving. I was particularly tickled by the catalog of exotic plant life in their digs.
Protagonist Zara ditched her high-powered legal career and now works with victims of sexual assault. Jodie, a teenager with a deformed face, becomes her client. She says she was raped by four Muslim classmates. Her story keeps changing and the book's title plays out on various levels. Jodie wishes it never happened and was attracted to one of the boys. A tricky element: Zara is Muslim and the press—and public reaction—has a field day with this potential conflict. Suspense builds in the courtroom, and there’s a last-minute twist. A fascinating exploration of cultural and interpersonal conflicts embedded in a gripping story.
Subtitled: A Fable. Adi, the protagonist, signs up for a six-week stint on a deserted island in the Pacific which is overrun by goats. The agency equips him with a rifle and supplies. His mandate is to get rid of those creatures so the ravaged environment can recover. The first problem is that Adi has no experience with firearms and finds killing abhorrent. The second: two lawless fishermen hang out around the island, sometimes distracting Adi from his task, and other times threatening him. It's a mess all around with a denouement of spectacular failure. Wicked wit as well as rueful commentary on the hopelessness of trying to fix the ills of man vs nature.
Add a comment to: Neshama’s Choices for June 22