Like Happiness is the debut novel by Ursula Villarreal-Moura, and what an impactful debut it is. Told in dual timelines between the early 2000s in the United States in 2015 in Chile, it examines a Chicana woman's young adulthood with a famous author friend and the complicated relationship they had until it all fell apart.... Continue Reading →
Months ago, I saw Melissa Rivero’s Flores and Miss Paula on NetGalley and was instantly intrigued. About an immigrant mother and her adult daughter, it describes their difficult relationship in the aftermath of a family loss, honoring their Peruvian culture while living in New York City, and navigating their future together. My husband is Peruvian,... Continue Reading →
The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra wasn’t on my radar, but when I was invited to review it, its synopsis captured my heart. It’s set in Ireland at Trinity College Dublin, where the main character is pursuing a master’s degree. Well, my sister earned her master’s from Trinity and is still living... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this fall is Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg. I’m always a sucker for novels about music, and that’s what first drew me to this one. It follows a singer-songwriter on the verge of success at 35. But in her past, she asked two different men to... Continue Reading →
I just celebrated my birthday at the end of May, and I got a few books as gifts from my sister. One of them was The Music of the Deep by Elizabeth Hall. It's primarily set in Washington's San Juan Islands (which I know very well), though on a made up island with a haunting... Continue Reading →
Since Alka Joshi's The Henna Artist came out last year, I've been excited to read it. Set in India in the 1950s, eight years after they gained independence from the British, it's told from the perspective of Lakshmi. At 17, she escaped an abusive marriage, and now, at the age of 30, she's built a... Continue Reading →
I've been wanting to read Marjan Kamali's novel, The Stationery Shop, and have heard so much about it. Set in Iran in the 1950s, it follows two teenagers, Roya and Bahman, who fall in love over books and political activism. But then they get separated and Bahman breaks up with Roya in a letter. She... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 