Where to find my latest book reviews Just dropping in with a little reminder that I have moved all my writing, including book reviews, to my Substack, Bad Mothers. Recent book reviews there include: If you like these reviews, I hope you’ll subscribe! Book reviews are always free to read, while some of my otherContinue reading “New Book Reviews”
Tag Archives: novels
Groundskeeping
by Lee Cole, published 2022 This is a writer’s novel, and as such I am going to critique it as a writer. Still, I do think it has broad appeal and explores a unique place. How many books have you read that take place in Kentucky? I don’t think I’ve read any before Groundskeeping. OwenContinue reading “Groundskeeping”
Run
Ann Patchett, 2007 Run is Ann Patchett’s fifth novel, published after the success of Bel Canto. It’s the story of several families linked in ways they don’t know, that come together one night in Boston after attending a talk by Jesse Jackson. Tip and Teddy are brothers, born to Tennessee and adopted by Doyle andContinue reading “Run”
February Round-Up
The Amateur Marriage, Anne Tyler, 2004I Feel Bad About My Neck, Nora Ephron, 2006Beside the Sea, Veronique Olmi, 2001 (tr. Adriana Hunter) I’m slowly making my way through Anne Tyler’s backlist, hoping I can make it last the rest of my life because each one of her books is such a joy to read. ThisContinue reading “February Round-Up”
The Men
By Sandra Newman, published 2022 I stumbled on this book while perusing Libreria near Shoreditch. While it isn’t exactly about motherhood, it caught my attention because it’s probably one of the most conventional versions of a feminist dystopia you can imagine: all the men in the world – poof! – disappear. At first the worldContinue reading “The Men”
Goodbye, Ramona
By Montserrat Roig, 1972; translated 2022 by Maria Cristina Hall and Megan Berkobien I had the pleasure of discussing this book with one of the translators, Maria Cristina Hall, at the invitation of its publisher Fum D’Estampa Press. Until this year, I had not heard of Montserrat Roig, and as this is the first translationContinue reading “Goodbye, Ramona”
The School for Good Mothers
By Jessamine Chan, 2022 I wanted to love this book. It’s title and description promises precisely the kind of work I am calling for in my PhD thesis: stories that tell the truth about motherhood, that call into question the so-called “maternal instinct.” And this novel does exactly those things. However, an important aspect ofContinue reading “The School for Good Mothers”
Revolutionary Road
By Richard Yates, published 1961 This is a novel many people know, if only for the broad strokes. Due to my area of research (and interest), I am going to consider it in terms of April’s desire to not have children and the supposed implications of her own childhood. April is a mother of twoContinue reading “Revolutionary Road”
The Farm
By Joanne Ramos, published 2019 The Farm is a place where surrogates for the super-rich live for nine months, kept safe and healthy — and under constant surveillance — until they deliver babies. They must adhere to an exercise regimen, play music for their bellies, and stick to a strict healthy diet. Jane, a singleContinue reading “The Farm”
The Push
It’s not often one of my usual “motherhood” novel picks are page-turners. I am fascinated by books about the realities of motherhood, particularly when they are contrasted with novels of the mid-20th century (and still today) that paint only rosy pictures of pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing. It’s a good thing, since it is essentially myContinue reading “The Push”
Monica Cardenas 