Both Doug and Andrea love to write up mini-reviews of books they read. For a new occasional feature, we’ll be sharing a few of their recent reads and what they had to say.
Andrea read How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang.
Here’s what she had to say:
Such a compelling read. A mix of historical fiction and magical realism filled with sorrow and loss. Writing about Chinese immigrants and those of Chinese descent during the gold rush and development of the railroad is an unusual subject, telling the story through the eyes of two young orphaned sisters escaping their surroundings, even more unusual. Lucy and Sam are so full of sorrow, their poverty and hardship so overwhelming, it is hard to imagine they survive. But, through all that, their story races forward, making for a novel that is hard to put down and hard to come to grips with. A formidable debut.
Doug read Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Here's what he had to say:
Here, let’s break my rule about effusive praise for a writer: I loved Gyasi’s novel and its emotive connections. This one is for all of us who walk the tightrope, who live in two worlds, who hold ourselves responsible for everything wrong whether with reason or with irrationality. For the “other”—this is authentic soul music. It is a song of understanding and compassion. It is easy to imagine Yaa Gyasi will write even greater novels soon.
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