Recently arrived literary fiction
Newly arrived novels from the literary end of the spectrum.
New Year's Day 1557 famed artist Jacopo da Pontormo is discovered stabbed to death beneath his controversial frescoes in the San Lorenzo chapel Florence. The investigation, spearheaded by the renowned art historian Giorgio Vasari on behalf of Duke Cosimo de' Medici, quickly unearths a scandalous painting: a nude Venus with the face of the Duke's daughter, Maria de' Medici. Through a dizzying exchange of letters between historical figures like Michelangelo, Catherine de' Medici, and various artists, politicians, and even nuns, Binet constructs a complex web of intrigue. The diverse "perspectives" offered by each correspondent provide a multifaceted view of the murder, the political machinations of the Medici family, and the artistic debates of the era. It's a clever whodunit that keeps readers piecing together clues, highlighting how truth itself is often a matter of perspective.
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb
Corby Ledbetter is a young father whose life is spiralling out of control due to job loss and a secret addiction. His struggles culminate in a terrible tragedy that shatters his family, leading to a prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Lamb masterfully explores themes of grief, guilt, and the complex path to forgiveness. Corby must confront his past, seek atonement, and find a way to heal from his trauma. The book also examines the systemic injustices within the American prison system and shows how even in the darkest of places, hope and human connection can be found.
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months, the inhabitants on the brink of starvation. When a group of "saints" and their leader, the Constant Lady, mysteriously arrive they offering endless feasts and salvation. But this apparent miracle quickly devolves into a bacchanalian nightmare of madness and cannibalism and three women trapped in the castle—a disillusioned war hero, a paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, and a servant seeking vengeance— must navigate the horrors unfolding within the castle walls. Complex, morally ambiguous characters and the sapphic relationships that develop between them, add layers of desire and betrayal to the already tense plot.
As a teenager, Sarah is consumed by boy bands, alcohol, and an obsession with her teacher, Mr. Keaveney. Decades later, she and her sister, Juliette, embark on a road trip across Scotland to celebrate Juliette's birthday. Frank and hilarious, Slags explores sisterhood and the weight of the past, delving into the trauma and secrets that haunt both sisters, particularly an assault Sarah experienced as a teen, which she has never truly processed. A novel both relatable and raw, showing how the "crap" from our youth can follow us into the future and shape our lives in unexpected ways.
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Hai is 19-year-ol growing up in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, who is on the verge of suicide. His life is saved when he encounters Grazina, an elderly Lithuanian widow suffering from dementia. Hai becomes her caretaker, and an unlikely, life-altering bond forms between the two. Taking a job at a local diner to support himself and Grazina, Hai discovers a found family of misfits who also exist on the edges of society and whose love, labour, and loneliness shape the American experience.
When Cora takes her daughter Maia and her new-born son to register his name, she has three options - Maia's impulsive suggestion, Cora's choice, or the name her abusive husband insists on. The Names follows the lives of Cora, Maia and Bear/Julian/Gordon every seven years for four decades, exploring the different paths that one small change creates. The Names is utterly page turning, poignant, sad, thrilling and so very well written. Knapp almost entirely removes the abuser from the storyline. This is not his story, this is the story of those who survived.
A young man and an older woman meet for lunch in an upscale New York eatery. She is an actress, he is young enough to be her son. Assumptions are made, both by the characters and the readers as the story progresses, a beguiling and intertwining duel narrative about the masks we wear, the roles we play in our lives.
Satnam, a young man from London, returns to his ancestral village in Punjab for his grandmother's funeral and discovers water in a long-dry well. This discovery fuels a contentious Hindu nationalist movement to "unearth" the lost river, a project with significant political and environmental consequences. The story then expands to follow seven distant relatives of Satnam's, scattered across the globe, whose lives become intertwined by this event and their shared ancestry. An ambitious, multi-generational epic that uses the mythical Saraswati River as a central metaphor, exploring themes of nationalism, diaspora, climate change, and the power of myth and history to connect people across continents and time. For those who enjoyed The covenant of water and There are rivers in the sky.
