popular fiction Demelza Jones + Dionne Christian
THE GIRL THEY LEFT BEHIND
by Roxanne Veletzos
(Simon and Schuster, $33)
As soon as I put this book down, I checked whether Roxanne Veletzos writes sequels because I would, hands down, buy the sequel to The
Girl They Left Behind. But this is her debut novel — and what a debut it is. On a freezing night in 1941 Bucharest, 4-year-old Natalia is left on the steps of an apartment building by her Jewish parents who are running for their lives as Hitler invades.
It’s desperation, not neglect, and although Natalia is adopted by a loving and wealthy family, they suffer through many hardships as Romania falls under Soviet Occupation. This is a story of enduring sacrificial love, the horrors and tragedies of war and politics, and triumphant survival, inspired by the true story of Veletzos’ own mother. (DJ)
LETTERS TO IRIS
by Elizabeth Noble
(Penguin Random House, $37)
One of the most uplifting and unforgettable stories of 2018, it begins with an unplanned pregnancy that throws Tess’ life into disarray and inadvertently into Gigi’s life. The women meet when Tess is visiting her ailing grandmother, Iris, the one person she feels she can talk to, but who can’t respond. Gigi is in the middle of a separation and she needs Tess more than she knows. There is an immediate bond between the two women, one that ends up saving them both. This novel is bittersweet and sure to tug on your heartstrings. (DJ)
THE SEALWOMAN’S GIFT
by Sally Magnusson (Hachette, $25)
It’s hard to believe that this extraordinary and accomplished novel is Scottish broadcaster and journalist Magnusson’s fiction debut. A tribute to the power of stories and the human spirit, the novel is premised around a little-known historical incident — the Barbary corsair raid on Iceland in 1627 — and crosses continents and cultures to take readers on an emotive journey into the heart of what makes us love and hope and mourn and survive. It’s about freedom and belonging, home and exile, motherhood and marriage. Sensual and beautifully written, as Magnusson, through her indomitable protagonist, Asta, writes: “let us go inside a story and shut the door.” (DC)
NINE PERFECT STRANGERS
by Liane Moriarty (Macmillan, $38)
This is my pick for an easy summer read. It focuses on the nine strangers of the title: a family of three, a couple, and four individuals all booked into a high-end, 10-day unorthodox retreat in the hopes they return home better able to deal with grief — be it for a marriage, a child or a career. We quickly learn something is amiss as the group, learn more about one another and themselves than they expected. There’s humour as well as some heavier issues; Moriarty’s razorsharp prose and fascinating plot twist are engaging. Overall, it’s a little weird but also a lot of wonderful. (DJ)
THE GREEK ESCAPE
by Karen Swan (Macmillan, $38)
Mystery, suspense, corruption and scandal abound here. Escaping a two-timing ex in London, Chloe makes a fresh start in New York but when a client’s wife disappears, finds herself in over her head, with no one to trust and no one to turn to. The plot’s good, the pace is spot on and the characters perfectly portrayed. (DJ)