What We’re Reading

“The Immortal Irishman”

by Timothy Egan

Wine, Women & Words

This epic work recounts the story of the colorful Irishman Thomas Francis Meagher, who during the 1840s Irish Great Famine years, led an unsuccessful uprising against British rule. Following his banishment to a Tasmanian prison colony, he resurfaces six months later in New York City, from where he leads the newly formed Irish Brigade in the Civil War, hoping after the war to return with his troops to Ireland to liberate their homeland from the British. His dream gives way to a final appointment as territorial governor of Montana, finding his true home on the western frontier. Egan brings new evidence to bear on Meagher’s mysterious death.

“The Marriage of Opposites”

by Alice Hoffman

The Book Sisters

From the Caribbean island of St. Thomas to the streets of Paris, Hoffman’s tale of love, loyalty, scandal and betrayal is mesmerizing. The love story’s main character is Rachel, whose many children include the Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. This multi-generational tale opens in the early 1820s with young Rachel, who dreams of faraway Paris from her tiny island. Her parents, her friends, her lovers, and her grandchildren enter and leave this magical tale, eventually leaving the readers wanting more of the story.

“The Mountain Shadow”

by Gregory David Roberts

Fair and Tender Ladies

This sequel to our beloved Shantaram, which ranks as one of our top two favorite books in our 15+ year tenure, reintroduced the characters and the places they call home from the first book. It was on a wing and a prayer we ventured into the Mumbai mafia scene again. We loved the resolution of many of the storylines and were thrilled to hang out with these rich, deeply considered characters. Was it as sublime as the first? No. Were we glad we read it? Yes. Roberts again writes with power and beauty; we all had pages of favorite lines!

“Becoming Nicole”

by Amy Ellis Nutt

Bibliobabes and Red Wine and Bleu

The chronicle of Wyatt/Nicole is a poignant true rendering of a transgender girl, her identical twin brother, and their family’s journey to understand, appreciate, and nurture the uniqueness in all of us. Being a science writer, Nutt impressed us with her understanding of the brain. She makes clear the critical distinction between gender anatomy, sexuality, and gender identity – all determined prenatally. Several readers talked about their own struggles as parents, in accepting children who are different from them. Several others shared stories of friends and family who have transitioned. We would encourage others to read this beautifully written book.

“Letters From Skye”

by Jessica Brockmole

Bend Bookworms

Letters From Skye takes place between March 1912 and June 1940 on two continents. Elspeth Dunn is a young published poet on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. Her poetry is discovered by a young American college student and fan, David Graham, who begins corresponding with her, sharing hopes and secrets. Their friendship develops into love, but World War I intervenes. This story of war and love and strength is beautifully told in the form of letters between Elspeth and David. In 1940, all of the saved letters reappear and Elspeth disappears. With the advance of electronics and social media, letter writing is becoming a lost art and it was a treat to read an entire book written in letter form.

“In Our Time”

by Ernest Hemingway

CRS Book Club

This collection of short stories, first published in 1925, was Hemingway’s debut book in the United States and was a departure from the Victorian style of writing and dialog. It was the introduction of the modern style with writing that is very sparse and to the point. The narrative is very strong and the reader gets the feeling that every word counts. It is a collection of stories that can be reread many times. In the story “The Big Two-Hearted River,” can already be seen the germination of Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea.”