The Liar's Dictionary by Eley Williams

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Liar's Dictionary
Author: Eley Williams
Release Date: 1.5.21
Publisher: Doubleday


Publisher's Summary
An exhilarating and laugh-out-loud debut novel from a prize-winning new talent which chronicles the misadventures of a lovelorn Victorian lexicographer and the young woman put on his trail a century later to root out his misdeeds while confronting questions of her own sexuality and place in the world.

Mountweazel n. the phenomenon of false entries within dictionaries and works of reference. Often used as a safeguard against copyright infringement.

Peter Winceworth, Victorian lexicographer, is toiling away at the letter S for Swansby's multivolume Encyclopaedic Dictionary. His disaffection compels him to insert unauthorized fictitious entries into the dictionary in an attempt to assert some sense of individual purpose and artistic freedom.

In the present day, Mallory, a young intern employed by the publisher, is tasked with uncovering these mountweazels before the work is digitized. She also has to contend with threatening phone calls from an anonymous caller. Is the change in the definition of marriage really that upsetting? And does the caller really intend for the Swansby's staff to 'burn in hell'?

As these two narratives combine, both Winceworth and Mallory discover how they might negotiate the complexities of the often nonsensical, relentless, untrustworthy, hoax-strewn, and undefinable path we call life. An exhilarating debut novel from a formidably brilliant young writer, The Liar's Dictionary celebrates the rigidity, fragility, absurdity, and joy of language.

My Review

Sometime the backstories to how I acquire and read a book are detailed and complex--this was one of those times. As a "word nerd" I was instantly intrigued when this title first came across my radar on Edelweiss at the beginning of 2020 and it became quite the challenge to get an ARC. This novel was to initially be released in the spring of 2020 but the release date continued to be pushed back due to COVID.  It was also being released in UK prior to US so I kinda chalked it up to "probably not going to get a copy." I saw it on Netgalley and tried to read an eARC there but the formatting was problematic (so confusing and I couldn't figure out the trajectory). By the time I did get a copy I was in the midst of my "I suddenly hate reading" phase of the pandemic that spread from December 2020 to about mid-February 2021. When I finally did dive into the story I read it in a single day. 

Composed of 26 chapters, each titled with an entry to match the progression of the alphabet [A is for artful (adj.), B is for bluff (v.), etc.] The Liar's Dictionary was absolutely jam packed with lexicographical details, linguistic analyses, and etymologies (both real and imagined.) The two timelines were each wonderfully unique and full of intellectual humor--as well as humorous situations. For example, after a night out, one of the protagonists arrives at his speech therapist's office with birthday cake in his pocket. This book was a joy for me to read but definitely not something that general fiction readers will probably be drawn to. I would recommend this more specifically to my fellow "word nerds" and readers of Oscar Wilde. 

Kitchen without Borders by The Eat Offbeat Chefs

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Kitchen without Borders: Recipes from Refugee and Immigrant Chefs and Stories of the Journey to Make a New Home
Author: The Eat Offbeat Chefs
Release Date: 3.2.21
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company


Publisher's Summary:
A cookbook with wide-ranging roots and a very deep heart: 80 authentic, off-the-beaten-path recipes for delicious dishes from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Eritrea, Venezuela, and other countries are shared by chefs who arrived in the US as refugees and found work at the Eat Offbeat catering kitchen.

The Kitchen Without Borders is a special kind of cookbook. In it, chefs from around the world – all part of Eat Offbeat, a catering company staffed by immigrants and refugees who have found a new home and new hope through cooking- offer up to 70 authentic, surprising, nourishing recipes. The food has roots that run as deep as its flavors, celebrating the culinary traditions of Syria, Iran, Eritrea, Venezuela, and more. Discover Iraqi Biryani, a rice dish combining vegetables and plump dried fruits with warming spices. Chari Bari, hand formed meatballs simmered in Nepali- spiced tomato and cashew sauce. Iranian rice with garbanzos, Sri Lankan curry dhal, and Manchurian cauliflower straight from the Himalayas. More than a collection of delicious foods from around the world, this inspiring cookbook- with its intimate chef profiles and photographic portraits-offers a glimpse into the journey of displaced people and highlights the profound link between food and home.

My Review:
Divided into sections: appetizers and dips, salads and soups, grain dishes, vegetarian dishes, meat dishes, and desserts and drinks, these recipes are adventurous to this chef. Growing up in the midwest meant meat, potatoes, and canned vegetables for dinner. My cooking skills and palate have evolved over the years but I'm now I'm not only interested in cooking (and eating) new recipes, I also want to the know the cultural stories behind ingredients and entrees. The Kitchen without Borders blends these stories, chef's bios, and recipes in the most wonderful way. Readers will be just as likely to enjoy reading this book as they will cooking from it.

*From March 1, 2021, to March 1, 2022, (including any preordered copies that ship during this period), Workman Publishing will donate 2% of the cover price for every copy of The Kitchen without Borders cookbook sold in the United States and its territories, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and European Union member states, to the IRC, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid, relief and resettlement to refugees and other victims of oppression, conflict, or disaster with a minimum contribution of $25,000 USD. For more information, visit rescue.org/cookbook and https://www.workman.com/kwob.

The Rebel Nun by Marj Charlier

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Rebel Nun    
Author: Marj Charlier
Release Date: 3.2.21
Publisher: Blackstone

Publisher's Summary
Marj Charlier’s The Rebel Nun is based on the true story of Clotild, the daughter of a sixth-century king and his concubine, who leads a rebellion of nuns against the rising misogyny and patriarchy of the medieval church.

At that time, women are afforded few choices in life: prostitution, motherhood, or the cloister. Only the latter offers them any kind of independence. By the end of the sixth century, even this is eroding as the church begins to eject women from the clergy and declares them too unclean to touch sacramental objects or even their priest-husbands.

Craving the legitimacy thwarted by her bastard status, Clotild seeks to become the next abbess of the female Monastery of the Holy Cross, the most famous of the women’s cloisters of the early Middle Ages. When the bishop of Poitiers blocks her appointment and seeks to control the nunnery himself, Clotild masterminds an escape, leading a group of uncloistered nuns on a dangerous pilgrimage to beg her royal relatives to intercede on their behalf. But the bishop refuses to back down, and a bloody battle ensues. Will Clotild and her sisters succeed with their quest, or will they face excommunication, possibly even death?

In the only historical novel written about the incident, The Rebel Nun is a richly imagined story about a truly remarkable heroine.

My Review

As a woman in 6th century Europe, you had three choices: marriage, prostitution, or the cloister. Marriage wasn't necessarily "safe" in that even if you were lucky enough to not be used as a bartering tool to form an alliance between families and your husband didn't beat you mercilessly, it still meant endless child-bearing, often resulting in the deaths of the mother, child, or both. Prostitution was (and still is) a highly dangerous profession for myriad reasons. When faced with those two options, it is easy to see why many women became nuns for the safety and security provided by the cloister, not necessarily for their piety.

The daily lives of the nuns of The Monastery of the Holy Cross are uprooted when the local bishop anoints an unexpected predecessor upon its abbess' death. Together the bishop and the new abbess slowly strip away the rights and "luxuries" previously given to the nuns...ya know, little things like safety, warmth, and food. As nuns, they try to learn how to live with these changes but when their larders get dangerously low and there is a threat to their sacred relic, they hatch a plan. I enjoyed diving into this little known pocket of history and was so glad to see a new historical fiction release that isn't set during WWII or is a mythological retelling. 

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Good Sister
Author: Sally Hepworth
Release Date: 4.13.21
Publisher: St. Martin's 

Publisher's Summary
From the outside, everyone might think Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be: Rose is the responsible one and Fern is the quirky one. But the sisters are devoted to one another and Rose has always been Fern's protector from the time they were small.

Fern needed protecting because their mother was a true sociopath who hid her true nature from the world, and only Rose could see it. Fern always saw the good in everyone. Years ago, Fern did something very, very bad. And Rose has never told a soul. When Fern decides to help her sister achieve her heart's desire of having a baby, Rose realizes with growing horror that Fern might make choices that can only have a terrible outcome. What Rose doesn't realize is that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets Rose, herself, is keeping. And that their mother might have the last word after all.

My Review
Quick take: Good, but not great.

This book was definitely a page-turner. I was intrigued through each chapter and didn't want to put it down. I especially loved the character of Fern, a woman with sensory perception disorder. Overall, this novel was enjoyable but a bit predictable. I would recommend it to readers who may be looking for a *lighter* mystery but not to a reader looking for a shocking thriller. 

The High-Rise Diver by Julia von Lucadou

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The High-Rise Diver 

Author: Julia von Lucadou, Sharmila Cohen (Translator) 

Release Date: 3.2.21 

Publisher: World Editions

Publisher's Summary:

Riva is a “high-rise diver,” a top athlete with millions of fans, and a perfectly functioning human on all levels. Suddenly she rebels, breaking her contract and refusing to train. Cameras are everywhere in her world, but she doesn’t know her every move is being watched by Hitomi, the psychologist tasked with reining Riva back in. Unquestionably loyal to the system, Hitomi’s own life is at stake: should she fail to deliver, she will be banned to the “peripheries,” the filthy outskirts of society. For readers of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Circle, and Brave New World, this chilling dystopia constructs a world uncomfortably close to our own, in which performance is everything.

My Review:

I take comparisons to "The Handmaid's Tale" with a grain of salt because it seems any dystopia with a female main character gets that comparison, but the "Brave New World" comparison did grab me. Unfortunately, the inclusion of the "peripheries" is where the similarities end and the constant surveillance is more on par with "1984". As with any dystopia or SFF-style book it takes a while to get acclimated to the world that is presented. I was willing to remain in a state of confusion for the sake of the storyline hopefully coming to a climax or providing a specific question that requires deep thought but I grunted "ugh. that's it?" upon finishing. I would not label this a feminist dystopia and it is not on par with the books it is compared to on its cover. 

The Arsonists' City by Hala Alyan

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Title: The Arsonists' City 
Author: Hala Alyan 
Release Date: 3.9.21
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publisher's Summary

A rich family story, a personal look at the legacy of war in the Middle East, and an indelible rendering of how we hold on to the people and places we call home

The Nasr family is spread across the globe—Beirut, Brooklyn, Austin, the California desert. A Syrian mother, a Lebanese father, and three American children: all have lived a life of migration. Still, they’ve always had their ancestral home in Beirut—a constant touchstone—and the complicated, messy family love that binds them. But following his father's recent death, Idris, the family's new patriarch, has decided to sell.

The decision brings the family to Beirut, where everyone unites against Idris in a fight to save the house. They all have secrets—lost loves, bitter jealousies, abandoned passions, deep-set shame—that distance has helped smother. But in a city smoldering with the legacy of war, an ongoing flow of refugees, religious tension, and political protest, those secrets ignite, imperiling the fragile ties that hold this family together.

My Review

“I think people deserve to have their secrets.”

Spanning the years between the 1960s and present day, this layered, multi-generational story of the Nasr family is complex in characters and settings. Idris (Lebanese medical student) and Mazna (Syrian actress) escape to America under asylum for Idris' surgical residency in the wake of his best friend Zakaria's (Palestinian pastry chef) death. Settled in Blythe, California the couple must learn to navigate through this new landscape and their new lives. Many years later, when Idris' father dies, Idris and Mazna want their children to return with them to Idris' family home in Beirut for a memorial service and to sell the house. The three siblings (Ava, a scientist living in Brooklyn, Marwan "Mimi", a renowned chef and guitarist living in Austin, and Najla "Naj", a world-traveling musician based in Beirut) have complicated relationships with each other and each parent. The tensions, resentments, and jealousies build throughout the entire story and each secret unfurls as the summer comes to an end--some secrets become known to the entire family and some to the reader alone. Reading this 464-page novel is a commitment that requires patience. The pacing is slow (but never dull) because author Hala Alyan wants to fully immerse you into the worlds of these flawed characters.

A few notes:

• Formatting: In my eARC the timeline jumps and character shifts between sections made reading a bit confusing. Hopefully the final copies will have these sections labeled with which character's POV we are about to read from and the date. 

• Cover/title: I feel that this cover and title don't match the story... in very much the same way "The Last Romantics" (another family saga) was mismatched. I think something more along the lines of "The Beirut House" with the cover photo of a home's courtyard and almond trees or the city itself would be a better fit.

The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson

Title: The Seed Keeper
Author: Diane Wilson
Release Date: 3.9.21
Publisher: Milkweed



Goodreads Summary:
A haunting novel spanning several generations, The Seed Keeper follows a Dakota family's struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters most.
Rosalie Iron Wing has grown up in the woods with her father, Ray, a former science teacher who tells her stories of plants, of the stars, of the origins of the Dakota people. Until, one morning, Ray doesn't return from checking his traps. Told she has no family, Rosalie is sent to live with a foster family in nearby Mankato--where the reserved, bookish teenager meets rebellious Gaby Makespeace, in a friendship that transcends the damaged legacies they've inherited.

On a winter's day many years later, Rosalie returns to her childhood home. A widow and mother, she has spent the previous two decades on her white husband's farm, finding solace in her garden even as the farm is threatened first by drought and then by a predatory chemical company. Now, grieving, Rosalie begins to confront the past, on a search for family, identity, and a community where she can finally belong. In the process, she learns what it means to be descended from women with souls of iron--women who have protected their families, their traditions, and a precious cache of seeds through generations of hardship and loss, through war and the insidious trauma of boarding schools.

Weaving together the voices of four indelible women, The Seed Keeper is a beautifully told story of reawakening, of remembering our original relationship to the seeds and, through them, to our ancestors.

My Review:

Quick take: one of the most beautiful books I've read in years. This eco-feminist multi-generational saga taught me so much about the history of the Dakota tribe, their sacred seed-keeping rituals, and the numerous hardships they endured. Woven into multiple timelines to create a poetic, heart-breaking, and quietly hopeful story, this novel blurs the lines between literary fiction and nonfiction in a way that haunts me. Since reading it, I have been thinking more deeply about families and legacies. I would recommend this to book clubs who are looking for more in-depth discussions than a big bestseller might provide and to readers interested in strong female characters, Indigenous histories, farming, or gardening. 

The Snatch Racket by Carolyn Cox

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Snatch Racket: The Kidnapping Epidemic That Terrorized 1930s America
Author: Carolyn Cox
Release Date: 3.1.21
Publisher: Potomac Books

Publisher's Summary:

Although the 1932 kidnapping of aviator Charles Lindbergh’s baby was a worldwide sensation, it was only one of an estimated three thousand ransom kidnappings that occurred in the United States that year. The epidemic hit America during the Great Depression and the last days of Prohibition as criminal gangs turned kidnapping into the highly lucrative “snatch racket.”

Wealthy families and celebrities purchased kidnap insurance, hired armed chauffeurs and bodyguards, and carried loaded handguns. Some sent their children to school or summer camp in Europe to get them out of harm’s way. “Recent Kidnappings in America” was a regular feature in the New York Times, while Time magazine included kidnappings in its weekly list of notable births, deaths, and other milestones.

The Snatch Racket is the story of a crime epidemic that so frightened families that it undermined confidence in law enforcement and government in general. In response, President Franklin D. Roosevelt waged a three-year War against Kidnappers with J. Edgar Hoover and his G-men (newly empowered to carry weapons and make arrests) on the front lines. This first U.S. war against terrorism revolutionized and modernized law enforcement in the United States, dramatically expanding the powers of the federal government in the fight against not only kidnapping but many new types of interstate crime.

At the heart of the narrative are some of the most iconic names of the twentieth century: Rockefeller, Ford, Lindbergh, Roosevelt, Hoover, Capone, Schwarzkopf, and Hearst, all caught up in the kidnapping frenzy. The Snatch Racket is a spellbinding account of terrifying abductions of prominent citizens, gangsters invading homes with machine guns, the struggles of law enforcement, and the courage of families doing whatever it took to bring home the ransomed.


My Review:
This shit was crazy! I (vaguely) knew about the Lindbergh kidnapping but I had no idea of the prevalence of kidnappings in in the 1930s. While the stories included in this book were fascinating, it was very heavy on the historical facts and figures. I felt like I was in high school history class again, where I would catch a piece of information but then zone out as the teacher droned on. I really liked the details of each kidnapping story but I started skimming the long sections about the federal government's intervention, etc. I think this would be a great accompanying text for a class covering this time period in America. 

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Title: The Lost Apothecary 
Author: Sarah Penner
Release Date: 3.2.21
Publisher: Park Row 

Publisher's Summary: 

In this addictive and spectacularly imagined debut, a female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course. Pitched as Kate Morton meets The Miniaturist, The Lost Apothecary is a bold work of historical fiction with a rebellious twist that heralds the coming of an explosive new talent.

A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary…

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.

My Review:

I always love a connected dual timeline that spans centuries, especially with strong female characters. Both storylines were great but I did lean more into the historical one: the apothecary shop and the relationship between Nella and her apprentice Eliza. As for the present day storyline with Caroline, I was so happy that the author didn't go where I thought she might have been going for a minute (I don't want to give any spoilers.) This was written in the style of several magical realism books I like (The Little Shop of Found Things, The Glamourist, etc.) but the potions in this book were all too real. The perfect amount of cozy, mixed with scandal, history, and strong-willed women, The Lost Apothecary is sure to be the first of many successful novels for Sarah Penner. 

About the Author

Sarah Penner is the debut author of The Lost Apothecary, to be translated in eleven languages worldwide. She works full-time in finance and is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Women's Fiction Writers Association. She and her husband live in St. Petersburg, Florida, with their miniature dachshund, Zoe. To learn more, visit slpenner.com.