Five new books to read this week
FICTION Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh Viking
This moving debut follows a teenage boy sent away to a strict Christian boarding school after his father discovered him sharing an intimate moment with the family apprentice. Obiefuna is forced to learn how to survive and love growing up in a deeply hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people.
Set in modern-day Nigeria, this heart-wrenching story is told through narratives from Obiefuna and his mother Uzoamaka, exposing the complexities within family relationships.
Ibeh beautifully captures the human cost of conflict between love and politics, where the status quo traps your most personal being.
The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes Phoenix
Peggy and Molly Gainsborough, the unruly children of an unknown Ipswich artist, run wild across the fields as their father captures their portraits on canvas. Partners in crime, they are convinced nothing could ever come between them.
So when Molly starts to lapse into violent confusion, Peggy realises if she is to keep her sister close, she must guard their shared secret or risk losing her to an asylum – even when the Gainsborough star rises and the sisters are launched into polite society.
A well-researched, beautifully intimate tale, Howes has breathed life into the painted faces of the Gainsborough girls.
Butter by Asako Yuzuki Fourth Estate, £14.99 (ebook £7.99)
In a Tokyo prison, an elusive serial killer with a taste for the finer things in life gives a rare interview to a journalist. They discuss food.
Rika Machida’s attempts to piece together the motives of gourmet cook Manako Kajii – accused of seducing and killing lonely businessmen – sets the reporter on a challenging journey.
Yuzuki’s translated novel is part gastronomical thriller, part cultural examination, in which vivid descriptions of cooking and eating alternate with provoking explorations of gender, misogyny, the media and romance.
Inspired by a real murder case, this dark yet life-affirming book asks searching questions about self-identity.
NON-FICTION Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story by Leslie Jamison Granta Books
Splinters, the second memoir from award-winning essayist Leslie Jamison, recounts a harrowing chapter in her life, when her marriage fell apart as she became a mother for the first time. Leslie’s memories weave the “splinters” of herself together – mother, wife, daughter, tutor, artist.
She shares how she navigated the deep feelings of grief, guilt and failure that stemmed from her divorce, while examining the relationship she has with her parents and how this has influenced her adult bonds. An insightful, intimate, and relatable read about the human psyche and the way we love.
CHILDREN’S Finding Hope by Nicola Baker
Simon & Schuster
The book is a delight and will enthral any child who reads it.
It tells the story of 10-year-old Ava’s adventures at Whistledown Farm with her aunt and uncle while her parents are in America for two weeks.
The prospect of being without her parents and on a farm is daunting for city girl Ava. She dubiously dons her new green wellies and cautiously starts her duties with her cousin Tom, who has doubts about her. Ava goes from one catastrophe to another, learning the pitfalls and joys of farming life.
The two cousins learn a lot together, and Ava falls in love with the animals.
A charming read with sweet illustrations.