BOOKS OF THE WEEK
Land Of Milk And Honey by C Pam Zhang
Hardback by Hutchinson Heinemann, £16.99 (ebook £8.99). Review by Prudence Wade.
In a follow-up to the Booker Prize-longlisted How Much Of These Hills Is Gold, C Pam Zhang turns her attention away from the gold rush to a more dystopian view of today. A great smog has spread over the world, causing widespread famine and despair. The narrator is a struggling chef with her livelihood taken away – until she’s given the unique opportunity to work at an exclusive country club run by a wealthy man and his daughter, set in the mountaintops above the smog. There she discovers more food than she could ever imagine – and finds out what her employers are really up to. It’s a captivating story that is alien without being too far-fetched.
Absolutely And Forever by Rose Tremain
Hardback by Chatto & Windus, £16.99 (ebook £8.99). Review by Hannah Colby.
Marianne knows she loves Simon, whatever the rest of the world might think – and she knows, without doubt, that Simon loves her too. This conviction carries Marianne through her tumultuous adolescent years and her early adult life in 1960s London, underpinning her every action – her marriage, her tragedies, her small triumphs and in the end, the discoveries she makes. Frustrating, intriguing and endlessly entertaining, Marianne is a character that invites exasperation and empathy alike. Absolutely And Forever is a study of the messiness of human relationships, the significance of secrets unspoken and the impact of the choices we make.
The Figurine by Victoria Hislop Hardback by Headline Review, £25 (ebook £10.99). Review by James Cann.
Helena, the heroine of the latest passionate ode to Greek culture and history from Victoria Hislop, is a child caught between two worlds. Visiting Athens, which her mother fled due to the cruelty of her grandfather, a grandee in the military junta that ruled Greece during the 1970s, she falls in love with the country while also enduring the political violence of the era first-hand. In adulthood, she is repeatedly drawn back there, inheriting her late grandparents’ flat while swept up in a university romance that promises summers of archaeological intrigue but inevitably turns sour. Hislop’s love for Greece shines and transports readers through space and time to a brilliantly drawn world.
Walk Yourself Happy by Julia Bradbury Hardback by Piatkus, £20 (ebook £11.99). Review by Prudence Wade.
Former Countryfile presenter Julia Bradbury is well-known for her passion for the great outdoors – even presenting shows like Britain’s
Best Walks – and now she’s turned that love into a book. It’s a comprehensive guide, spanning everything you need to know about exercising outside – from how it can positively impact your mental health, to practical tips like what shoes to wear. Bradbury is just as engaging on the page as she is on the TV, and weaves personal experiences – such as her struggles to get pregnant and her cancer diagnosis – with historical information, scientific facts, personal stories from other people and commentary from a psychotherapist, green exercise expert and more.