The characters studying and teaching at a “famous writing school” include two gifted poets who become unlikely friends, and the professor, lovely and distant, who influences them both. This beautifully written book has several themes, including the cost of ambition and the loneliness of the writing life. Powerful and absorbing.
Jamaica in the 1820s: slaves worked on the sugar plantations until the behavior of the British plantation owners led to the rebellion of 1831. July was a child then, but she tells her story as an elderly woman, with occasional interruptions from her son. July’s narrative voice is light-hearted, often funny and slyly satirical, which only highlights the sadness and horror of much of what she describes. A terrific historical fiction by the author of SMALL ISLAND (another great read).
In a leafy Massachusetts town, a rogue banker builds a monumental home. His neighbor, a retired teacher, is enraged by the house’s tastelessness and by the fact that it was built on land originally donated to the town by her family. The battle lines are drawn between old and new money. A complication: the bank may be in trouble, and the head of the Federal Reserve is the teacher’s brother.
This is a powerful book and a very timely story about our national financial situation.
Aging Mother Ravenel is writing a history of Mount Saint Gabriel’s, a Catholic girls’ school in the mountains of North 
The novel moves back and forth in time as the story is slowly revealed. Godwin’s humor and depth of perception are on display; it’s an absorbing story with unforgettable characters. Highly readable, the book offers much to think about and would be great for discussion.
The noted essayist offers a collection of elegant and entertaining pieces on subjects ranging from his mother to the U.S. Open.
If you want to brush up on grammar, style and usage, give this book a try: in brief and breezy entries, the author advises readers how to “avoid accidents.”
