The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
#literarynovel, character driven fiction, coming of age, family drama, feminist literature, Sense of Place Fiction, Southern Fiction, women's issues #literarynovel, character driven fiction, coming of age, family drama, feminist literature, Sense of Place Fiction, Southern Fiction, women's issues

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The choices Stella and Desiree make, and the outcomes of those choices, reveal the ugly inventions of race and sex and class in America. Hobbled by those definitions, Bennett’s characters push and pull against them. Stella sacrifices family and true connection for a false identity. Desiree surrenders to her identity and sacrifices her dreams.

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Little Faith by Nickolas Butler
#literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, midwestern fiction, sense of place, Sense of Place Fiction #literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, midwestern fiction, sense of place, Sense of Place Fiction

Little Faith by Nickolas Butler

Butler masterfully examines the tenuous bonds of family against the backdrop of faith. The emotional landscape fittingly mirrors the physical as we progress through the seasons. LITTLE FAITH explores the significance of lifelong friendships, the fickleness of the seasons, and the capriciousness of romantic and familial love. In Butler’s world, as in real life, nothing comes without a price.

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American Gospel by Lin Enger
#literarynovel, author interview, family drama, literary fiction, Minnesota Fiction, Sense of Place Fiction #literarynovel, author interview, family drama, literary fiction, Minnesota Fiction, Sense of Place Fiction

American Gospel by Lin Enger

AMERICAN GOSPEL will be out in October and is Lin Enger’s third novel. The plot revolves around the apocalyptic vision of an old man whose message resonates with a nation in turmoil. Like his other novels, Undiscovered Country and High Divide, AMERICAN GOSPEL flawlessly weaves together personal stories of fractured families with historical events resulting in a satisfying, yet surprising resolution.

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The Land by Thomas Maltman
#literarynovel, author interview, dystopian literature, literary fiction, Minnesota Fiction, Sense of Place Fiction #literarynovel, author interview, dystopian literature, literary fiction, Minnesota Fiction, Sense of Place Fiction

The Land by Thomas Maltman

There’s a lot at stake in Maltman’s THE LAND – will Lucien be able to infiltrate the Rose of Sharon and maintain his integrity? Can a soul in search of meaning unwittingly find it in a corrupt religion? These questions, dear reader, are the ingredients of a page turner.

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Deacon King Kong by James McBride
#literarynovel, fiction humor, historical fiction, Sense of Place Fiction #literarynovel, fiction humor, historical fiction, Sense of Place Fiction

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

McBride shows deep affection for his characters – whether they be the Latinx or African American residents, the congregants of the Five Ends Baptist Church, the Italian mob, the cops investigating the crime, or King Kong- addled Sportcoat – under McBride’s watchful eye, they are all redeemable.

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The Lost Man by Jane Harper
#literarynovel, literary fiction, mystery, Sense of Place Fiction #literarynovel, literary fiction, mystery, Sense of Place Fiction

The Lost Man by Jane Harper

Jane Harper’s secret power is character development – Nathan, Cameron, Bub, Liz and Ilse are complicated people with enigmatic pasts. The Australian outback, in all its harsh beauty, is the perfect backdrop for this family drama; I was transported there, both physically and emotionally, bereft and desolate and nearly uninhabitable. Though it’s slow to unfold, the novel comes to a surprising yet satisfying conclusion.

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