BOOKS OF THE WEEK
Green Dot by Madeleine Gray W&N on February 1, £16.99 Review by Amanda Willard
Australian writer Madeleine Gray’s impressive debut novel plunges us headlong into the restless existence of twenty-something slacker Hera. An academic high-achiever with solid friendships but still directionless, Hera is drifting through life until, forced to make a living, she lands a job as an online community moderator at a Sydney news outlet. Here she meets older journalist, Arthur, with whom she begins an ill-advised but allconsuming affair. As the story unfolds, what begins as a laugh-outloud observation of office politics, full of sharply penned scenes that fans of Fleabag will love, slowly gives way to a deeply poignant and at times, heartbreakingly detailed, journey of messy self-discovery.
My Friends by Hisham Matar
Viking, priced £18.99 (ebook £8.99) Review by Maryam Munir
Love, friendship and longing. They’re the three themes you’ll come across in Hisham Matar’s
My Friends, a story about friends living in political exile. Readers are introduced to Khaled Abd al Hady, a literature student who, when visiting London, attends an anti-government demonstration in front of the Libyan embassy. The spur-of-the-moment decision is one that impacts the rest of his life, leaving him, and two others, longing for their beloved country. My Friends isn’t just a story about political exile – it’s about the country that defines us and the actions we would take to protect our beloved home.
The Fury by Alex Michaelides Michael Joseph, £18.99 (ebook £9.99) Review by Alan Jones
Former film star Lana Farrar invites a small group of friends to a private Greek island – as you do – to relax in the sun, reconnect and be wined and dined. But the holiday is anything but relaxing, quickly turning from a happy gettogether to a gripping murder mystery. Winds batter the island, leaving the group stranded, arguing with each other and then caught up in a terrifying search for the murderer. The plot thickens as the increasingly desperate search is hampered by shocking secrets revealed by Lana’s friends. The Fury is surely set to follow suit of Michaelides’s first book, The Silent Patient, and become a bestseller.
Lovers In Auschwitz: A True Story by Keren Blankfeld WH Allen, priced £22 (ebook £9.99) Review by Jacqueline Ling
In this poignant and moving true story, the lives of two Holocaust survivors, Zippi Spitzer and David Wisnia, unfold against the backdrop of Auschwitz, one of the most notorious death camps in history. The narrative guides us from the circumstances that led them to Auschwitz to the daily struggles for survival, culminating in a remarkable reunion over 70 years later. This compelling tale of love and sacrifice is presented with great sensitivity, offering readers a genuine glimpse into the atrocities committed at Auschwitz. The resilience and strength of character required to endure the war, with all its profound experiences and losses, are vividly portrayed.