Archive for the ‘relationships’ Tag
Poetic and epic, Maggie O’Farrell’s most recent novel, Land, initially transports readers to a peninsula on Ireland’s western shore. The title is used both as a verb and a noun.
In nearly 400 pages, the plot mostly follows the lives of Tomas, his wife Phina and their four children: Enda, Liam, Rosie and Eugene. O’Farrell’s narrative begins in 1865, but it does not follow a straightforward storyline.
Tomas is a surveyor charged with mapping Ireland. He has young Liam as his assistant, but things go awry when Tomas enters a copse. After he emerges his once-reticent personality undergoes a disturbing, manic transformation which has a profound impact on Liam, and ultimately the rest of his family
The strength of familial bonds, the heartbreakingly romantic descriptions of how Tomas and Phina met, the power of longstanding superstitions and the harsh beauty of the Irish landscape and other places where the family lives are vividly described.
The novel contains four parts, with the second explaining what was likely the cause of Tomas’s personality change. It’s set millennia before the time he enters the heavily-wooden, mysterious forest. It, like the rest of the story, is beautifully written. It has the spirit of a folktale and is crucial to the entire novel.
As the children grow, the focus is less on Tomas; each child emerges as a unique, sensitive individual. The passing of time, with its joys and sorrows, is richly portrayed. And the physical land is as much a character as those who live upon it.
Land
Four and a half bookmarks
381 pages
Alfred A. Knopf, 2026
The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives is one of those titles that both intrigues and leaves one skeptical about what to expect.
Set in 1966 Southern California, author Elizabeth Arnott strategically references popular songs, fashion and events of the era to set the scene, which takes some edge off this thriller. The three main characters are, indeed, the ex-wives of infamous serial killers now incarcerated.
Their husbands’ notoriety has made the women’s lives difficult; they have few friends and the relationships they do have are mostly misguided. None of the women had a clue regarding the dangerous, and gruesome, lives their husbands led away from home.
Bev is the only one of the three with children; she believed he was the family-man he projected to her and those in their circle. Brash Margo’s husband was former would-be-politician. Elsie works as a clerk at a Los Angeles newspaper (with aspirations to be a reporter). Each man was convicted of horrifically killing multiple women. It’s not entirely clear how the ex- wives met but they do form a bond as victims in their own right.
When several young, local women are found murdered, Bev is the first to suspect there’s a connection; one that’s soundly dismissed by the police. Law enforcement is convinced gangs are involved; Bev is certain one man is responsible. This is when she and her friends begin their own investigation.
The engaging, well-paced narrative leaves one wanting to double check that windows and doors are locked at night.
The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives
Four Bookmarks
Berkley, 2026
312 pages with acknowledgements
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan has all the elements of a (good) soap opera: broken relationships, infidelity, family issues and so much more especially, or perhaps, because the setting is a small Ohio town (hence the name).
The fictional work spans six decades, but actual events serve as the backdrop.
Cal Jenkins and Becky Hanover grow up and marry in rural Bonhomie, Ohio. Carl was born with one leg shorter than the other; this made him ineligible to serve later when World War II breaks out. However, it’s VE Day when things begin to change for him. That’s when Margaret, relatively new to town and certainly a stranger to Calvin, walks into the hardware store where he works and kisses him in celebration of the war’s end.
Buckeye begins in the present, moves seamlessly to the past for a brief time, before moving forward. Margaret is married to Felix, but theirs is a passionless marriage; Felix is gay. There’s more backstory. He joins the navy when war is declared and is later lost at sea in the Pacific.
Meanwhile, Becky is preoccupied with her paranormal abilities; Cal is skeptical. It’s not long before Margaret and Cal begin spending more time together.
Ryan’s character-driven narrative is engaging and credible — well, perhaps Becky is less so because of her obsession with reaching the dead. Still, we watch the couples evolve with the times and situations particularly those associated with the numerous lies and secrets that slowly, but predictably, rise to the surface.
Buckeye
Nearly four bookmarks
Random House 2025
452 including acknowledgements
When was the last time you put pen to paper, placed it in a stamped envelope and mailed it? Or, when did you last receive a handwritten letter? These are the explicit unspoken questions lingering within the pages of The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Plenty of implicit ones fill the pages.
The novel is a series of letters written by 70-something Sybil Van Antwerp . Through years of letter writing, Sybil’s daily routines, her history, emotions and relationships are revealed. Her complexities are relatable. She is kind, ornery and persistent. She writes letters to authors, friends, her brother, the son of a former colleague and many, many others. Sybil has much to write about; she’s a retired lawyer, avid reader, mother, divorcee and lifelong learner.
Yet, for all these qualities, she’s not entirely likeable. She holds a grudge and misses a lot that’s right in front of her. Some of this is due to her diminishing eyesight, but more can be attributed to her stubborn personality. When opportunities arise to make amends, she’s a mixed bag. She extends olive branches to those with whom she had peripheral contact, while refusing with family members, including her dying ex-husband.
Evans is heavy handed when it comes to lessons to be learned such as establishing and maintaining relationships. Sybil is not completely aware of the impact of her letters. Still, Sybil’s commitment to written correspondence is commendable, particularly considering her frequent lack of face-to-face social skills.
Nonetheless, it’s time to buy some postage stamps.
The Correspondent
Three and three-quarter bookmarks
Crown 2025
285 pages including acknowledgements
Grief, isolation, broken relationships and climate change are beautifully and tragically addressed in Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy.
Dominick Salt and his three children are the caretakers and lone residents of Shearwater Island, near Antarctica. They’re organizing and packing the contents of a seed bank awaiting a ship to return them to the mainland. Rising tides, harsher weather conditions and the island’s isolation make it uninhabitable or a viable environment for continued study. Shearwater is a critical element of the story.
When a barely-alive woman washes ashore during a severe storm there’s an immediate sense of foreboding. Rowan’s reasons for traveling to Shearwater are suspect given Shearwater’s remoteness; when she reveals that she’s looking for her husband who had been in charge of the seed bank, the Salts’ reticence makes her suspicious.
As Rowan’s wounds heal she gets to know each of the children, while remaining mistrustful of Dom. The five characters are richly portrayed, each nearly eclipsed by grief and none able to communicate their feelings.
McConaughy’s writing maintains a palpable sense of tension throughout the narrative. It’s nerve-wracking and impressively captivating with numerous unanswered questions: what happened to the other members of the research team; how will the Salts adjust from their extremely secluded life; can their brokenness be mended; and more.
First person voice tells Rowan and Dom’s side of the story, while third person voice is used for the children. Short chapters further heighten a sense of dread, but also offer occasional glimmers of hope.
Wild Dark Shore
Five Bookmarks
Flatiron Books, 2025
302 pages, includes acknowledgements
Claire Leslie Hall’s novel, Broken Country, is a study in class differences, miscommunication and reignited emotions, primarily love and guilt.
When Gabriel Wolfe reappears in Beth Johnson’s life years after their brief, but intense love affair ended, not only is her life uprooted, but so is everyone else’s in the small, rural English village (their country) where they live.
Despite the tragedy of losing their young son in an accident, Beth and Frank Johnson have a strong, seemingly healthy marriage. They work the family farm with Jimmy, Frank’s younger brother and they’re well-respected in their community. Gabriel is a well-known author from an affluent background who’s returned to his family’s estate with Leo, his young son in tow. He’s the same age as Beth’s son at the time he died.
Yes, this is a love story, but there is also an element of mystery. The character-driven plot is rich with descriptive images of the rural landscape and the deep-seeded emotions of Beth, in particular. This makes it more her story with the others as supporting actors. Nonetheless, each one is richly nuanced.
The narrative randomly alternates among the past, present and future. This serves not only to inform the reader about previous and existing relationships, but also hints at some of what’s to come. Thus, there’s much that is predictable here, particularly that Gabriel and Beth will once again be drawn to each. Fortunately, there is at least one major surprise that is bound to keep readers engaged.
Broken Country
Four bookmarks
Simon and Schuster, 2025
307 pages
Set in 1960s in a northern Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., Marie Bostwick’s novel, The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a misnomer– at least by today’s standards.
The housing development where the women live is new, so none of the neighbors know one another well. After visiting the local bookstore, Margaret Ryan decides to form a book club. She invites three other women to discuss Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, which has just hit the shelves. The group calls itself The Bettys.
Bostwick ascribes interesting attributes to each woman. Marilyn, Viv and Charlotte are all married with children. Charlotte is brash and creative unlike anyone Marilyn has ever met. Bitsy, the youngest and married to a much older man, is desperate to get pregnant.
The novel focuses on the personalities and friendships, which are initially in line with the times in which they live. This is primarily focused on the sexism they face in their marriages and outside their homes. Slowly, and predictably, as the women grow closer they begin to change by challenging the norms of the day.
There’s plenty of humor and nostalgia, even for those who weren’t part of that era. The women’s frustrations at not being taken seriously are palpable, but so is their joy when they are.
The final chapter takes readers to the early 2000s. As for the title, these women aren’t troublesome; rather they’re brave, progressive and evolve to become defiant. There’s little that’s unexpected, but it’s a fun read nonetheless.
The Book Club for Troublesome Women
Almost four bookmarks
2025, Harper Muse
371 pages, including acknowledgements and Discussion Questions
Years ago I gave myself permission to stop reading if I couldn’t get into a book. I should have heeded my own consent with Among Friends by Hal Ebbot. I finished it, although with effort. I felt obligated because it was a book group selection.
The novel focuses on the long-standing friendships between two families: Amos, Claire and daughter Anna; Emerson, Retsy and daughter Sophie. Although from different social backgrounds, the men have been best friends for more than 30 years. Emerson and Claire, both come from privilege, have known each most of their lives. The teen girls have grown up together.
They’re together at Emerson’s country home in upstate New York to celebrate his 52nd birthday. Yet, something’s off; there’s an unstated, and apparently unusual, competition between the men.
Later, when Emerson finds himself alone with teenage Anna, something occurs that has the potential to change all their lives. Anna initially doesn’t tell her parents, but when she does they’re torn as to not only what to believe, but more importantly who.
The narrative then gets bogged down with too much about their pasts and it’s easy to question why they’re even friends.
Although Ebbott creates credible tension both with Anna and her parents, along with the adults’ responses, who care?! Retsy and Amos believe Emerson is capable of Anna’s claims; Claire’s ready to dismiss her daughter’s accusation and Emerson is certain he can manipulate the truth.
The characters aren’t people I’d want to know; reading about them was enough.
Among Friends
Two-and-half bookmarks
Random House, 2025
320 pages
Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession and Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhirst is a gripping account of Maralyn and Maurice Bailey’s* exploits at sea.
The subtitle reveals the main elements of the narrative; yet in no way diminishes the situation upon which Elmhirst’s work is based.
The book focuses on three aspects: the couple’s backgrounds, personalities and how they met; next, sailing, shipwreck and days adrift; finally, life after their rescue (this isn’t a spoiler).
Elmhirst first captures readers’ attention by describing how the two met. Despite have similarly unhappy upbringings, their personalities were very different. Maurice was adventuresome, methodical and obstinate in his ways. Maralyn was more carefree and logical. She readily joined Maurice in his daring undertakings.
They set sail from England for New Zealand in a boat they built themselves. This is, initially, the idyllic part of the story. It all dramatically changed after their boat was hit by a whale in the Pacific Ocean far from shore. They spent 118 days at sea, afloat in a dinghy attached to a life raft. Their rations were in short supply, they had no radio and had to rely on each other to survive. How they did so was a lesson in perseverance; primarily on Maralyn’s part. She became more resolute in surviving as Maurice fell into despair.
Elmhirst relied on Maralyn’s journals, newspaper accounts and interviews with those who knew the couple. This is fascinating look at relationships and adventure; the latter section is tiresome, though.
Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession and Shipwreck
Almost-four bookmarks
Riverhead Books, 2025
256 pages
*Photo from nzherald.co.nz
College dropout and drug addict Hai, is about to jump off a bridge in East Gladness, Conn., when he’s talked down by Grazina, an elderly widow, who then invites him into her nearby, rundown home. This is the beginning of Ocean Vuong’s novel The Emperor of Gladness. What ensues is a look at how creating a family can evolve from unlikely relationships.
Hai has lied to his Vietnamese mother about still being in school and, among other things, his sexuality. In fact, he elaborates telling her he’s in medical school. As his friendship with Grazina evolves, he becomes her unofficial caretaker, ensuring she talks her medications and helping her as she relives traumatic flashbacks from when she escaped the war in Lithuania. Nonetheless, she sinks deeper into dementia.
When it becomes clear the pair needs money, he joins his cousin Sony, like the electronics brand, who works in a fast casual restaurant with a group of misfits.
The characters, like the novel itself, are both sad and funny through their distinct personality quirks. Their desperateness is palpable. Sony, who is otherwise not exceptionally bright, is a Civil War savant. Sonny’s mother is in jail and he believes his father is living in Maine.
Vuong’s descriptions are vivid but occasionally longwinded. Despite the author’s colorful details, it’s easy to visualize the desolate town of East Gladness.
Hai’s co-workers at the restaurant are equally adrift, each with their own feelings of loneliness while they unknowingly search for connections.
The Emperor of Gladness
Four Bookmarks
Penguin Press, 2025
402 pages
The Blue Page Special 
