Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. So we asked them, and all Denver Post readers, to share their mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email bellis@denverpost.com.
“Big Time,” by Ben H. Winters (Mulholland Books, 2024)
“Big Time,” by Ben H. Winters (Mulholland Books, 2024)
Part mystery, part science fiction, this novel rests upon the alarming premise that time is more than a concept. It is a “durable element” that can be isolated within and removed from a human body. And, once captured, it can then be injected into another body. But, of course, things don’t go as straightforwardly as sketched out on paper. Turns out you can’t simply “add on” time to extend a person’s lifetime. The injected durable element creates folds in the present time. Oops! Will our heroine be able to stop a megalomanic from stealing time from unsuspecting clients? How many innocent bodies will fall before then? You’ll have to read this page-turner to find out. –– 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“How the Light Gets In,” by Joyce Maynard (William Morrow, 2024)
Who can predict the myriad ways an unexpected tragedy can destroy a family from within? We first met Eleanor and Cam in Joyce Maynard’s 2021 novel “Count the Ways,” as they built a loving relationship and began raising a young family on a farm in New Hampshire. But a momentary lapse in parental judgment causes one child to become changed forever. For Eleanor, forgiveness comes too late, and infidelity and divorce predictably follow. “How the Light Gets In” picks up in 2009, after Eleanor finds a measure of forgiveness and cares for her ex-husband in his final months of life. Maynard weaves her vivid characters masterfully as they navigate not only their personal struggles, but also the political and social events that have defined our country in the past few decades, including climate change, COVID, school shootings, and the events of Jan. 6, 2021. Eleanor strives to choose grace and unconditional love for herself and her three children, each of whom has turned out quite different than what she had envisioned. – 3½ stars (out of 4); Karen Goldie Hartman, Westminster
“The Western Wind,” by Samantha Harvey (Jonathan Cape, 2018)
“The Western Wind,” by Samantha Harvey (Jonathan Cape, 2018)
This is a mystery written backwards, starting on Day Four, then progressing to Day One. You might think this means we know what happened, but we really don’t. The reverse chronology requires the reader to note minute details to see how they fit into the whole, and that kept me intrigued. Harvey takes us, convincingly, to a poor, 15th-century English hamlet in turbulent times. The characters are portrayed with the depth we need, and it’s a pleasure to experience their personalities unfolding over the course of days. Although we don’t attain all the answers, I recommend this for literary writing and an intriguing mystery. (Note: Harvey’s latest, “Orbital,” is shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize.) — 3 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker
“Rough Trade,” by Katrina Carrasco (MCD, 2024)
Set in Washington state in the late 1800s, Carrasco’s second novel reframes the familiar, turbulent story of coarse frontiersmen, dock workers and opium smugglers within the context of a rarely mentioned set of historical characters: the queer community. In Carrasco’s telling, these typically marginalized people are grudgingly accepted or merely tolerated for their invaluable licit or illicit contributions, but they are also relegated to society’s edges. True identities and shady pasts are hidden, just as true alliances and shady activities are kept in the shadows. Whom can you trust? Who will betray you? A refreshingly compelling read, served up with a twist. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver