The Wave, Granta, and Other Hot Reads
This week: a thrilling exploration of the power of waves, Scott Spencer’s new novel about a troubled couple, a debut novel of a cross-cultural love affair, a haunting account of Lincoln’s funeral train, and the latest Granta presents Pakistan in all its literary glory.
The O magazine editor in chief travels around the world to explore the world’s largest waves and the fearless who brave them.
Formerly an editor of outdoor and adventure stories for magazines like Outside, the editor in chief of O: The Oprah Magazine has evolved into a first-rate eco-author. Like her first book, the bestseller The Devil’s Teeth which examined the habits of great white sharks off the Farallon Islands, Casey’s latest, The Wave, sees Casey traveling all over the world to investigate the world’s biggest waves. The author approaches waves from all angles, including following groups of fearless surfers as they attempt to ride giants, interviews with scientists about global warming’s effect on wave size, and, last but not least, the monstrous bodies of water themselves. “In the end, you gain a healthy respect for the power of these waves and the people who surf them, and for the challenges facing those trying to understand them,” said The Los Angeles Times. “But you also come away sharing Casey's nagging fear about how global warming will influence the size and frequency of these monster waves, and the tenuous nature of human existence within the permanence of the natural world.”
Man in the Woods by Scott Spencer
The acclaimed author of Endless Love, who is often compared to Cheever and Updike, returns with his tenth novel.
Whereas Spencer’s most famous novel, 1979’s Endless Love, dealt with the throes of teenage passion, his latest, Man in the Woods, explores the complexities of adult relationships. Kate Ellis, the alcoholic protagonist of 2003’s National Book Award finalist A Ship Made of Paper, has reinvented herself in Woods as a sober born-again Christian who's found utter contentment with carpenter Paul Phillips. The happy couple, along with her daughter, Ruby, live in peaceful upstate New York during the closing months of 1999. However, a chance encounter between Paul and the titular mystery man leads the couple down a dark, dangerous path, testing the bonds of their loving relationship. “This is a book to savor and read aloud, a book that is variously wise, funny, and heartbreaking,” said The Washington Post’s Patrick Anderson. “ Man in the Woods is one of the three best novels I've read this year… and if you pressed me, I'd put it at the top of the list.”
The Pleasure Seekers by Tishani Doshi
An award-winning poet’s debut novel is a charming, moving, cross-generational tale.
Winner of the Forward Poetry Prize in 2006 for her first collection, Tashani Doshi’s debut novel fictionalizes her own multiracial family in a page-turning generational saga. Like the titular The Pleasure Seekers, Doshi was born to a Welsh mother and Gujurati father, and her parents are here fictionalized as Siân Jones, a gorgeous gap-toothed Welsh girl working as an office assistant in swinging '60s London, and Babo, a jejune boy from Madras new to London who, much to the chagrin of his family, falls madly in love with Siân. This post-colonial tale, spanning four generations, is not only a loving tribute to Doshi’s parents, but also “a captivating and delightful novel,” said Salman Rushdie. And if her first book is any indication, “she will develop into a novelist second to none,” according to The Independent.
Bloody Crimes by James Swanson
At the close of the Civil War, a haunting account of Lincoln’s funeral train and the hunting of Jefferson Davis.
James Swanson's Bloody Crimes follows up his New York Times bestselling book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer. Bloody Crimes juxtaposes the hunt for rebel president Jefferson Davis with Lincoln’s funeral caravan, as it winds its way back to the president's hometown of Springfield, Illinois. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out to view the martyred president’s corpse, while Lincoln’s death stoked people’s desire to exact vengeance on Davis, whom many thought to be a conspirator in the president’s assassination. Swanson details scenes of large-scale grief, such as the funeral train’s visit to Chicago, where 7,000 people viewed Lincoln’s corpse per hour, as well as quirky historical details, such as the rumor, spread by Union cavalrymen, that Davis had attempted to escape capture by dressing as a woman, which prompted P.T. Barnum to offer a reward for the dress. Harlan Coben, author of Caught, calls Bloody Crimes “a haunting masterpiece. James Swanson has written a thrilling book of death and longing, of defeat and resurrection.”
Perspectives on a crisis-addled nation experiencing a literary apotheosis.
The latest installment of Britain's famous lit mag journeys through Pakistan with original reportage, poetry from an up-and-coming Urdu scribe, and lots of excellent short fiction. From reporting on Kashmir to a look at Pakistani pop idols, the editors have assembled a variety of perspectives and thoughtful ruminations on a nation in flux, with contributions from short-story master Daniyal Mueenuddin, a poetry debut from Jamil Ahmad, and writing from Fatima Bhutto. A stunning collection that makes a convincing case that Pakistan’s writers cannot be missed.
Plus: Check out Book Beast, for more news on hot titles and authors and excerpts from the latest books.