Welcome to Mailbox Monday! Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy,
toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
This past week I received the following Advance reviews copies from the publishers via NetGalley. And, I simply cannot begin to express how excited I am about Bittersweet from Colleen McCullough!
Bittersweet By Colleen McCullough
Simon & Schuster
Pub Date Aug 19 2014
Description:
In her first epic romantic novel since The Thorn Birds, Colleen
McCullough weaves a sweeping story of two sets of twins—all trained as
nurses, but each with her own ambitions—stepping into womanhood in 1920s
and 30s Australia.
Because they are two sets of twins, the four
Latimer sisters are as close as can be. Yet these vivacious young women
each have their own dreams for themselves: Edda wants to be a doctor,
Tufts wants to organize everything, Grace won’t be told what to do, and
Kitty wishes to be known for something other than her beauty. They are
famous throughout New South Wales for their beauty, wit, and ambition,
but as they step into womanhood, they are not enthusiastic about the
limited prospects life holds for them.
Together they decide to
enroll in a training program for nurses—a new option for women of their
time, who have previously been largely limited to the role of wives, and
preferably mothers. As the Latimer sisters become immersed in hospital
life and the demands of their training, they meet people and encounter
challenges that spark new maturity and independence. They meet men from
all walks of life—local farmers, their professional colleagues, and even
men with national roles and reputations—and each sister must make
weighty decisions about what she values most. The results are sometimes
happy, sometimes heartbreaking, but always . . . bittersweet.
Rendered
with McCullough’s trademark historical accuracy, this dramatic coming
of age tale is wise in the ways of the human heart, one that will
transport readers to a time in history that feels at once exotic and yet
not so very distant from our own.
Island of a Thousand Mirrors
By Nayomi Munaweera
St. Martin's Press
Pub Date Sep 2 2014
Description:
Before violence tore apart the tapestry of Sri Lanka and turned its
pristine beaches red, there were two families. Yasodhara tells the story
of her own Sinhala family, rich in love, with everything they could ask
for. As a child in idyllic Colombo, Yasodhara’s and her siblings’ lives
are shaped by social hierarchies, their parents’ ambitions, teenage
love and, subtly, the differences between Tamil and Sinhala people; but
the peace is shattered by the tragedies of war. Yasodhara’s family
escapes to Los Angeles. But Yasodhara’s life has already become
intertwined with a young Tamil girl’s…
Saraswathie is living in
the active war zone of Sri Lanka, and hopes to become a teacher. But her
dreams for the future are abruptly stamped out when she is arrested by a
group of Sinhala soldiers and pulled into the very heart of the
conflict that she has tried so hard to avoid – a conflict that,
eventually, will connect her and Yasodhara in unexpected ways.
In the tradition of Anil’s Ghost and The God of Small Things, Nayomi Munaweera's Island of a Thousand Mirrors is
an emotionally resonant saga of cultural heritage, heartbreaking
conflict and deep family bonds. Narrated in two unforgettably authentic
voices and spanning the entirety of the decades-long civil war, it
offers an unparalleled portrait of a beautiful land during its most
difficult moment by a spellbinding new literary talent who promises
tremendous things to come.
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Such pretty covers! Both books sound lovely. Hope Bittersweet is as good as you hope - two sets of twins, wow!
ReplyDeleteOh, Bittersweet sounds good! Enjoy your reading!
ReplyDeleteI hope you like Bittersweet! I received it for Christmas, but haven't it read yet. That cover is different to the Aussie one, but just as pretty.
ReplyDeleteI commented on this post yesterday...hmmmm...wonder where my comment went. :)
ReplyDeleteI love Colleen McCullough...I want to read this book.
THANKS for sharing, and have a great reading week. ENJOY all your books.
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My Mailbox Monday