Caleb's Crossing
Geraldine Brooks
17th-century Martha's Vineyard and the first Native American to graduate Harvard, seen through a minister's daughter. Vivid.
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★ 5People of the Book
Geraldine Brooks
The imagined history of a real Hebrew manuscript, traced back across centuries. Loved the puzzle of it.
Memorial Days
Geraldine Brooks
Geraldine Brooks on the sudden death of her husband and the grief she finally let herself feel. Quiet and devastating.
★ 5The Correspondent
Virginia Evans
The protagonist of this beautiful novel is a 73-year-old woman processing her life — and regrets — through letters. It’s poignant but not saccharine, specific but universally appealing. I dare you not to cry.
Tom Lake
Ann Patchett
An older woman tells her daughters about the summer she spent performing alongside — and falling in love with — a now-famous actor. My friend Anna said her husband adored this book just as much as she did — impressive, considering he typically reads business non-fiction.
★ 5Whistler
Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors for a reason; I couldn't put this down.