A Life in Frames, Leonora Ross’s third novel, is the coming-of-age story of a gifted young artist and the journeys he embarks on in his quest for self-discovery and the pursuit of his dreams. The story opens with ten year old Lejf Busher lying on a blanket under the African night sky in his parents’ backyard in Otijwarongo, Namibia—exhausted, but eyes filled with dreams.
Tag: fiction
A review of Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
The novel’s emotional depth matches its cultural resonance. The book is a cultural time capsule: Percy’s career choices scream the early 2000s, each chapter title is a nostalgic nod, and the deep dives into music cement the era’s atmosphere. There’s lots of nostalgia for the music of the noughties: Beach Boys, Green Day, Bowie, Neutral Milk Hotel…you get the drift.
A review of So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne
You immediately empathise with each of these characters as you turn the pages to their respective POVs, and that’s precisely the glitter of Bourne’s writing. Her character-driven templates are so watertight, and her characters so realistic that you can even imagine them as real people in your own life.
A review of Bare Ana and Other Stories by Robert Shapard
A spectrum of characters populates the prismatic flash in Bare Ana. Every story sings a surprise or a change of perspective. A couple honeymoons in Wakiki, but the husband falls off a twelfth-floor balcony. A young girl in a leotard flips an impossible set in front of a judges’ panel. A weather forecaster flies off – not to another television station – but on a renegade weather balloon.
A review of The Buried Life by Andrea Goldsmith
Goldsmith writes with the perfect combination of intensity and restraint, balancing the forward motion of the novel’s rich plot, a linear arc of emotional awakening that picks up the book’s title, with philosophical reflection that leans into the poetic and unspoken qualities of music and poetry.
A review of Griffintown Sisters by J. Emile Turcotte
Griffintown Sisters is vividly written, with multi-faceted characters including strong, resourceful women. The sisters’ love for each other and their struggle for survival come across clearly. This book will provoke thought about whether or not things have changed much for people at the bottom of society’s ladder.
A review of Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin
Larkin has the uncanny ability to paint each person in Freya’s orbit as if they were living, breathing figures, complete with their own hopes, flaws, and secrets. Through her vivid descriptions and nuanced dialogue, each character feels indispensable to the story, enriching the tapestry of the small town and making Freya’s world achingly authentic and free from judgement.
A review of Divorce Towers by Ellen Meister
Toss in an attention-averse internet celeb, a shy New Englander fleeing an abusive spouse, the theft of a bejeweled faux Fabergé egg, an enigmatic dominatrix, and a gaggle of superannuated, hilariously rapacious divorcees, and you have a combustible mix. Divorce Towers is classic Ellen Meister — fast-paced, breezy, and funny AF.If you’ve liked Meister’s other offerings, you will surely love this one.
A review of The Burrow by Melanie Cheng
Cheng’s writing is so lovely, and her insights so acute, that even the slow chapters remain engaging. Her figurative language is especially striking. When Amy drifts into sleep, “better days flash, in orange hues, behind her lids.” Pauline reflects that, when one is young, “death [is] something to be teased and taunted, unseen and remote, like a hibernating animal.”
A review of Beware the Tall Grass by Ellen Birkett Morris
Beware the Tall Grass reads like poetic, creative nonfiction, creating a beautiful and believable story that leaves the reader satisfied yet in wonder about what we know and don’t know about the mysteries of life and death. This novel is a compelling read.