Welcome back to the dearly missed and now revived (for how long? who knows!) Boswellian recommendation blog. Here are some new books we love, coming out on Tuesday, February 10th.
The first rec of the week is
Eradication: A Fable, by Jonathan Miles, and it comes with write-ups from Kay and Jason. Kay says: "Adi, a jazz musician turned teacher who is running from his past, takes a job that ships him to a remote island that’s overrun with goats. His task: eradicate the invasive species. Should being where you’re not supposed to really decide life and death? This island will not let him escape himself. An amazing story that sits with you for a long time after you finish."
And from Jason: "After recent family tragedies, Adi craves meaningful employment. A misleading ad takes him to a small Pacific island where his five-week job is to eradicate an invasive species that’s decimated rare and endemic plants and animals. Within days, Adi forms blossoming connections with island wildlife, reexamines his family tragedies with clear eyes, figures out the real cause of the island’s decline, and watches fishermen illegally and brutally harvest shark fins. Understandably, these experiences and revelations throw Adi into untenable mental anguish. Miles poignantly imparts multiple egregious modern follies in this brief novel, making Eradication an exceptional achievement."
Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson also has two recs. First, from Tim: "The brutal effects of WWII were felt long after the last battles, including inside Germany, where massive destruction left average people destitute. The children born there of American soldiers were often left behind with German mothers who couldn't care for them after the soldiers left, and the mixed-race children of Black American soldiers and German women were often rejected by society. The resulting trauma echoed across the ocean to America for decades and beyond. This is the fictionalized account of a real-life woman who could not watch these children remain in orphanages or on the streets without loving families. Her Brown Baby Plan became an elaborate rescue operation. Told in the voices of the heroic woman who was in Germany with her army officer husband, a young Black American soldier, and a mixed-race girl in America years after the war, we see the universal search for love and validation by everyone involved. I'm a child myself of a father who was part of the American occupation forces in Germany just after the war. He saw the devastation and search for love from both sides of the conflict, and I'm grateful to Sadeqa Johnson for opening my eyes to his life in ways that I’ve never known."
And from Daniel: "It’s just after World War II. Ethel Gathers is stationed in German with her military officer husband, searching for fulfillment after several thwarted attempts at motherhood. Ozzie Phillips has just enlisted in the army, hoping to get a position in intelligence. And some years later, Sophia Clark has just received the opportunity of a lifetime, admittance to a prestigious prep school on full scholarship. They all face challenges on the way to their goals, often, but not always linked to the color of their skin. Sometimes tense, often exciting, and ultimately inspiring, Keeper of Lost Children is not just a great read but an excellent introduction to the real-life history of the Brown Baby Plan, when hundreds of mixed-race children were placed with Black American families."
Now back to Jason for his notes on
Operation Bounce House, the latest Dungeon Crawler Carl novel by Matt Dinniman. Jason says: "Oliver is a member of the first generation of colonists on the planet Sonora, and his homestead has inadvertently become ground zero in Earth's nefarious plans. You see, anyone from Earth can purchase a mech to go destroy 'the enemy' who has supposedly killed all the colonists. Only, there are no enemies, there are only colonists, fleeing as fast as they can from the destruction. Unfortunately for Oliver and his sister, a good number of them have fled to the farm. This is Matt Dinniman at his best, writing a funny, fast paced story that points out all the inequalities that we are subjected to in our society."
Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer gets these notes of praise from Kathryn: "Camille has everything she could ever want: doting husband, spotless home, and unwavering faith in God. At least, that's how she's made her life seem on her perfectly curated #tradwife social media profile. The only thing missing, of course, is a baby. That all changes when she makes a wish in the mysterious bottomless wishing well just on the edge of the woods in their backyard. Schaefer's imagery is stunning, pulling the reader into Camille's beige and white world and flipping it on its head into a disgusting bloodbath every chance possible. Camille's spiral into madness is impeccably written. It's not easy to write an empathetic unlikeable character. Schaefer makes it look easy, and I found myself rooting for Camille until the very end. As gory and gross as this horror novel was, I can't help but also notice how hilarious Schaefer is, with pristine comedic beats tucked between horrific moments. This novel is so intelligent and perfectly paced, I could not stop thinking about it every time I was forced to put it down."
And finally, Kathy recommends
Waiting for the Long Night Moon, a short story collection by Amanda Peters that gets its paperback release this week. Kathy says: "Captivating short stories of the Indigenous experience across time and place. Peters writes from the initial contact with European settlers, to the forced removal of Indigenous children, to the fight to ensure clean water. At times sad and often disturbing, Peters also shows us the resilience of Indigenous people and the power of tradition and belonging."
And those are the recs of the week! Will we be back next week with more? I sure hope so!
