book previews
Hot summer reads
FICTION
The Silent Wife, by A.S.A. Harrison. Todd
Gilbert and Jodie Brett are in a bad place in
their relationship. They’ve been together for
nearly three decades, and with no children
there has been little to disrupt their affluent
Chicago lifestyle. On the other hand, they
have little to hold it together and the cracks
are starting to show. He is a committed
cheater, while she lives and breathes denial.
He exists in dual worlds. When it becomes
clear that their precarious world could disintegrate at any moment, Jodie knows she
stands to lose everything. It’s only now that
she will discover just how much she’s truly
capable of. (June 25)
“wheels” and a six-colour pen, Spiral Draw
lets kids create fun designs and draw creatures both real and imaginary. Beaded Bands
helps budding fashionistas create seven stylish bracelet designs. They can be worn
stacked or solo. Bead, cord, needle, thread
and a custom loom are included. (Available
now)—Stephanie E. Ponder
The Secret Keeper, by Kate Morton. During
a summer party, 16-year-old Laurel Nicolson
escapes to her childhood tree house when
she spies a stranger approaching the family’s
farm. She sees her mother, Dorothy, talk to
the man, and before the day is over, Laurel
witnesses a shocking crime. Now, 50 years
later, Laurel is a successful actress living in
London. The family is gathering for
Dorothy’s 90th birthday. Realizing that this
may be her last chance, Laurel searches for
answers to the questions that still haunt her.
(Available in paperback July 16)
JUVENILE
Spiral Draw and Beaded Bands, from
The Beautiful Mystery, by Louise Penny.
No outsiders are admitted to a monastery
hidden deep in the wilderness of Quebec,
where 24 cloistered monks live in peace and
prayer. Despite having taken a vow of silence,
the monks have become world famous for
their glorious voices, raised in ancient chants
whose effect on both singers and listeners is
so profound it is known as “the beautiful
mystery.” When the renowned choir director
is murdered, the lock on the monastery’s
massive door is drawn back to admit Chief
Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy
Beauvoir of the Sûreté du Québec. There
they discover disquiet beneath the silence,
discord in the apparent harmony. (July 2)
Klutz. With the aid of a frame, a set of
The Ghost Bride, by Yangsze Choo. In this
debut novel, Li Lan, the daughter of a
respectable Chinese family in colonial
Malaysia, hopes for a favourable marriage,
but her father has lost his fortune, and she
has few suitors. Instead, the wealthy Lim
family urges her to become a “ghost bride”
for their son, who has recently died. Rarely
practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is
used to placate a restless spirit. Night after
night, Li Lan is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, where she
must uncover the Lim family’s darkest
secrets—and the truth about her own family.
(July 6)
Book Buyer Buyer’s pıck
Catherine Bergeron
The Fire Witness, by Lars Kepler. The third
book in the Joona Linna series finds the
detective inspector under internal review by
the National Police for an alleged infraction.
He is on leave to solve some personal business when he is called in to “observe” the
investigation of a gruesome and strange
murder at a youth home for wayward teenage girls. It’s not long before Joona is drawn
into the disturbing case. (July 9)
THIS ISSUE’S Buyer’s Pick is the novel
The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells,
by Andrew Sean Greer. This book
tells the story of Greta Wells, whose
twin brother has died and whose
lover has left her. Her grief results in
electroshock therapy.
During the treatments,
Greta is sent to 1918,
1941 and back to the
present, and finds her
brother and lover—and
alternate versions of
herself.
This is a beautiful
story about the many
faces of love and the amazing self-
discoveries one woman goes through
while visiting her three possible lives. I
found it incredibly imaginative, very
moving and, ultimately, inspiring.
The Impossible Lives of Greta
Wells is available in Costco warehouses. C