LATEST TITLES

WARLIGHT by Michael Ondaatje, Johnathan Cape, £16.99 (ebook £11.89)

SRI Lankan-born Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje is a prolific poet, but is perhaps best known for a novel that was later adapted into a hugely successful movie: The English Patient.

In Warlight the action is initially set in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Teenager Nathaniel and his sister have been abandoned in mysterious circumstances by their parents, and are instead looked after by a colourful crew of potential criminals.

It’s only a dozen years later that Nathaniel tries to figure out what actually happened, and why his mother returned without a word.

Ondaatje’s prose is beautiful, and he successfully builds suspense and tension without seeming too heavy-handed.

The most exciting and interesting part of the book is the beginning, with its captivating range of characters. When they disappear, the storyline becomes greyer, relying too much on unanswered questions to hold attention.

THE FEMALE PERSUASION by Meg Wolitzer, Chatto & Windus, £14.99 (ebook £10.49)

GREER Kadetsky is an ambitious but shy student who is struggling to figure out how she fits into the modern world.

Seeking a sense of purpose, Greer’s life is turned upside down when she meets Faith Frank, a prominent second-wave feminist speaker. Greer soon finds herself drawn to Faith’s energy and ultimately ends up working for her.

Through the pair’s complex relationship of mentor and mentee, Wolitzer explores how to live a politically meaningful life and what feminism means to different generations of women.

There’s lots to enjoy here – the plot is pacy and you’ll come to deeply invest in these characters through Wolitzer’s brilliantly sharp prose. However, although the book grapples with plenty of the big gender topics, it fails to say anything really radical about them.