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July 15, 2010
Greetings:
We're thrilled to bring you another issue of Buzzing About Books, a newsletter for curious readers. In this issue:
- Abraham Verghese writes of twin brothers born under mysterious circumstances in an Ethiopian hospital, and growing up in a country on the brink of revolution, in Cutting for Stone.
- Writing about four unlikely friends who meet in their freshman year at Smith College, J. Courtney Sullivan explores friendship in college and beyond in Commencement.
- Tatjana Soli's vivid debut novel, The Lotus Eaters, brings readers to Saigon at the close of the Vietnam War, where an American female combat photographer struggles with love and the ravages of war.
- In The Murderer's Daughters, debut novelist Randy Susan Meyers depicts two sisters trying to make sense of their mother's death by their father's hand.
- Frances Osborne explores the life of her great-grandmother, Idina Sackville -- a woman who broke the rules and bolted from her marriage -- in The Bolter, a novel based on family letters, diaries, and legend.
Warm regards,
Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp [email protected] bookclubcookbook.com
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Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese Fiction / 688 pages / Paperback Vintage / January, 2010
Dear
Reader:
I hope
you enjoy the world of Missing Hospital, truly a world away from our lives. The
genesis of the story was not place or geography for me as much as it was the
fascination I had for medicine as a child, and the romance and adventure of
being a medical student. I wanted to convey the awe and the privilege of
another human being allowing me to hear their story and to examine their body. I worry that these days
in the sterile hallways of modern medical-industrial hospitals, there isn't
much evidence of the adventure and romance. That's why I began with a mission hospital in Africa, a place so basic, that there is no remove between doctor
and patient, no layers of technology. In such settings, the nature of the suffering never feels like an
abstract Credit: Joanne Chan | construct. Then I pictured very human, fallible characters -- the likes
of Sister Mary Joseph Praise and
Thomas Stone. I often told myself that I wanted the whole novel to be of
medicine, exactly in the way Zola's novels are of Paris -- every page giving off
the sights and sounds and miasmas of that place. You will tell me if I have
succeeded. Abraham
Verghese Stanford,
California
About Cutting for Stone:
Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret
union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by
their mother's death and their father's disappearance, bound together by a
preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come
of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal,
medicine and ordinary miracles -- and two brothers whose fates are forever
intertwined.
Reviews for Cutting for Stone:
"A winner. . . . Filled with mystical scenes and deeply
felt characters. . . . Verghese is something of a magician as a novelist." -USA Today "A masterpiece. . . . Not a word is wasted in this
larger-than-life saga. . . . Verghese expertly weaves the threads of numerous
story lines into one cohesive opus. The writing is graceful, the characters
compassionate and the story full of nuggets of wisdom." -San Francisco Chronicle
For more information about Abraham Verghese, visit his website or Facebook page.
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Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan Fiction / 432 pages / Paperback Vintage / May, 2010
Dear Reader:
In college, I met a group of
amazing women. On the surface, we had nothing in common except our housing
assignments, but we soon became best friends over study breaks and quad parties
and long talks in the dining hall. After graduation, our lives shot
off in different directions-some were settling down and getting married, some
were suffering through bad Internet dates. Some were making six figures, while
others were in grad school eating ramen noodles. There were a lot of judgments in
the air. (She's dating him? Since when does she care so much about
money? You're changing your last name?) Sometimes I imagined a glorious
fight in which we'd all finally say what we thought of one another. Of course,
we were far too polite for that, so I had to write a novel about it instead. Commencement is a book about the way friendships change Credit: Jerry Bauer | and endure.
The characters are part of the first generation of American women to have an
abundance of choices, which can be both a beautiful gift and a terrifying
proposition. I hope you enjoy the book and
want to pass it along to your own best friend. Yours, J. Courtney Sullivan
About Commencement:
Assigned to the same dorm their first year at Smith
College, Celia, Bree, Sally, and April couldn't have less in common. Celia, a
lapsed Catholic, arrives with a bottle of vodka in her suitcase; beautiful Bree
pines for the fianc� she left behind in Savannah; Sally, preppy and obsessively
neat, is reeling from the loss of her mother; and April, a radical, redheaded
feminist wearing a "Riot: Don't Diet" T-shirt, wants a room transfer
immediately. Written with radiant style and a wicked sense of humor, Commencement follows these unlikely
friends through college and the years beyond, brilliantly capturing the
complicated landscape facing young women today.
Reviews for Commencement:
"One of the year's most inviting summer novels.... A
smart, discerning book about school years.... Sullivan
introduces strong, warmly believable three-dimensional characters who have fun,
have fights and fall into intense love affairs." -The New York Times "Wickedly sharp. . . . Ms.
Sullivan's voice is funny and smart. . . . A fun, fresh . . . insightful read." -The New York Observer
For more information about J. Courtney Sullivan, visit her website or Facebook page.
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The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli Fiction / 400 pages / Hardcover St. Martin's / March, 2010
Dear Reader: My debut novel is the story of a young woman, Helen Adams, who goes to
Vietnam to become a combat photographer. The Lotus Eaters is an adventure story
and a love story, as Helen discovers her own courage in the face of the
devastations of war, and comes to love two very different men. Set during the fall of Saigon, and spanning the beginning of the American involvement, The Lotus Eaters is about the power of love and war, and the ultimate victory of
human connection.
Please visit my website at www.tatjanasoli.com to learn more about my inspirations for writing the book, my
ten-year journey to publication, watch the trailer, and even listen to the
playlist that forms the emotional soundtrack for the book. Best, Tatjana
TATJANA SOLI IS GIVING AWAY 5 COPIES OF THE LOTUS EATERS. ENTER TO WIN A COPY. About The Lotus Eaters:
A
sweeping novel about an American female combat photographer in the Vietnam War,
as she captures the chaos and finds herself torn between the love of two
men.
The
North Vietnamese army is poised to roll into Saigon. As the fall of the
city begins, two lovers make their way through the streets to escape to a new
life. As they race to leave, they play out a drama of devotion and betrayal
that spins them back through twelve war-torn years.
A
searing portrait of an American woman's struggle and triumph in Vietnam, a
canvas contrasting the horror of war and the narcotic of obsession with the
redemptive power of love, The Lotus Eaters is a novel of passion, duty and
ambition among the ruins of war.
Reviews for The Lotus Eaters:
"A splendid first novel. . .Helen's restlessness and
grappling, her realization that 'a woman sees war differently,' provide a new
and fascinating perspective on Vietnam. Vivid battle scenes, sensual romantic
entanglements and elegant writing add to the pleasures of The Lotus Eaters."
-Danielle Trussoni, The New York Times Book Review "The novel is steeped in history, yet gorgeous
sensory details enliven the prose. . . 35 years after the fall of
Saigon, Soli's entrancing debut brings you close enough to feel a part of
it." -People
For more information about Tatjana Soli, visit her website, audio/video page, blog, or author Q & A.
Tatjana is available to speak with your book club. Please contact Tatjana through her website to submit your request.
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The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers Fiction / 320 pages / Hardcover St. Martin's / January, 2010
Dear Reader:
When my sister was
eight, my mother warned her against opening the door for our father. Perhaps
she also cautioned me, but I was barely five and can't remember. However, my
sister fed me details and I heard Daddy sweet-talking his way in. My mother's
screams echoed. I kept wondering what if? What if my sister hadn't been
brave enough to get the neighbors? What if the police hadn't come in time? What if my mother had
died? Writing is like that
for me, a series of "what if" after "what if "... When my sister and I
were young, after being forced to turn out the lights, we'd take imaginary
books off imaginary bookshelves and ask each other: what are you dreaming
tonight? The Murderer's Daughters is from that childhood shelf. Warm regards, Randy Susan Meyers
RANDY SUSAN MEYERS IS GIVING AWAY 5 COPIES OF THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS. ENTER TO WIN A COPY.
About The Murderer's Daughters:
Lulu's mother
says don't let Daddy in, but he's
impossible to ignore. He cajoles and bullies his way past Lulu, who listens in
horror as her parents struggle. She runs for help, but he murders her mother,
stabs her sister, and tries to kill himself. Abandoned by
relatives to a terrifying group home, they plot to be adopted by a good family,
but all the girls really have is each other. For thirty
years, they try to make sense of what happened. Their imprisoned father is a
specter in both their lives, shadowing every choice they make. One spends her
life pretending he's dead; the other feels compelled to help him, but both fear
the day their imprisoned father's attempts to win parole meet success.
Reviews for The Murderer's Daughters:
"From the squalor of an orphanage to the empty silences
of suburban living, is all too believable and heartbreaking." -Los Angeles Times, 'Knock Out Debuts' "Meyers, in a remarkably assured debut, details how the
sisters process their grief in separate but similarly punishing ways." -The Denver Post
For more information about Randy Susan Meyers, visit her website, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.
Randy Susan Meyers is available to speak with your book club in person or through Skype. Please contact Randy through her website.
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The Bolter by Frances Osborne Fiction / 368 pages / Paperback Vintage / May, 2010
Dear
Reader: Book
groups tell me that The Bolter is the
rare nonfiction book that reads like a novel, inspiring lively conversations
about those individuals who have the courage to break the rules and challenge
convention. Idina Sackville's story also raises questions about the changing
roles of women, the nature of freedom and promiscuity, and the true meaning of Credit: Tony Buckingham | motherhood and individuality. It also seems that every time I visit the United States,
somebody tells me about another Happy Valley themed party inspired by the book,
or a "Bolter" dinner party. They assure me that they only discuss the book and
stop short of The Bolter's
partner-swapping after-dinner games! Warmly, Frances Osborne
About The Bolter:
In an age of bolters -- women who broke the rules and fled
their marriages -- Idina Sackville was the most celebrated of them all. Her
relentless affairs, wild sex parties, and brazen flaunting of convention
shocked high society and inspired countless writers and artists, from Nancy
Mitford to Greta Garbo. But Idina's compelling charm masked the pain of
betrayal and heartbreak. Now Frances Osborne explores the life of Idina, her enigmatic
great-grandmother, using letters, diaries, and family legend, following her
from Edwardian London to the hills of Kenya, where she reigned over the
scandalous antics of the "Happy Valley Set." Dazzlingly chic yet warmly
intimate, The Bolter is a fascinating
look at a woman whose energy still burns bright almost a century later.
Reviews for The Bolter:
"If notorious relatives make for the best dinner-party
anecdotes, then Frances Osborne should be able to dine out for decades. . . Enthralling." -The Plain Dealer "Ms. Osborne has succeeded in her stated aim, to write a
book that 'has in a way brought Idina back to life.' And what a life it was." -The Wall Street Journal For more information about Frances Osborne visit her website or Facebook page.
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