BOOKS OF THE WEEK
Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson Viking, £14.99 (ebook, £9.99) Review by Bridie Pritchard
Having won the Costa First Novel Award and Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards for Open Water, Caleb Azumah Nelson follows up with another sensitive, delicate gem. A comingof-age story, Stephen is falling in love with his best friend Del and falling out with his father over his path in life. Set over three summers, in south London and Ghana, Stephen begins to understand the dynamics of family, how community is built and how to find his way back to his father. There’s a nice irony to how someone so articulate in his head can be so unable to say what he feels to the people who matter in his life. Music weaves its way through the book – dancing, playing and listening.
Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes Piatkus, £22 (ebook, £12.99) Review by Prudence Wade
Fans of the Bridgerton Netflix series or original books will be familiar with the character of Queen Charlotte – and now historical romance author Julia Quinn has fleshed out her backstory, in a new collaboration with producer Shonda Rhimes. The story takes us back to the 1700s, when Charlotte – a woman of colour from Germany – is brought to England to marry King George. It follows Charlotte navigating the British court while falling in love with her new husband and discovering a dark truth. All the elements of a classic period romance are here but the book does deal with racism, mental illness and sexual assault with perhaps too light a touch.
The Guest by Emma Cline Chatto & Windus, £18.99 (ebook, £8.99) Review by Imy Brighty-Potts
Aloof and mysterious Alex is a 20-something masquerading as a wealthy woman on Long Island. After she’s been kicked out of the house she was staying in, she decides to stay on the island – and what follows feels like a tale of the ultimate grifter. Doused in ambiguity and foreboding, we get to see much of the world alongside Alex, but the elusive third-person voice of the book is unsettling. It’s an engaging yarn, and Alex is a purposefully dislikeable protagonist. And yet her total lack of redeeming features feels misleading – even when we should empathise with her, we’re left bitter and confused by her actions. Beautiful language and imagery can get you only so far in a novel where no character feels quite whole.
The Rooster House: A Ukrainian Family Memoir by Victoria Belim Virago, £20 (ebook, £11.99) Review by Tom Pilgrim
With the war in Ukraine dominating the news, Victoria Belim’s family memoir could not be a more timely exploration of the country’s difficult Soviet past. During a 2014 visit to her grandmother, amid Russia annexing Crimea, the writer learns of an unknown uncle – Nikodim – who disappeared in the 1930s “fighting for a free Ukraine”. Belim’s determination to uncover Nikodim’s fate triggers a moving personal journey unravelling complex family relationships, secrets and memories. This is an honest, insightful and passionate book that provides a beautiful insight into a nation beyond war headlines.