33 Place Brugmann * * (also available in downloadable eBook), filmmaker and playwright Alice Austen’s fiction debut is “an unusually colorful and intelligent, poignant and rich World War II novel.” (Kirkus Reviews). It is at once a portrait of home, a love story, and a mystery, narrated in turns, by the residents of a Beaux Arts apartment building in Brussels. 

The novel opens in 1939 when overnight, Leo Raphael, a renowned art dealer and his family, disappeared from Apartment 4R, and with them a priceless art collection. Across the hall in 4L, Charlotte Sauvin, an art student mourned the loss of her childhood friend Julian Raphael while her widowed father, an architect, prepared to shut down his practice. In the 5th floor attic room, Charlotte’s godmother Masha Balyayeva, a gifted seamstress, was engaged in a risky affair with Harry, the shadowy visitor to Colonel Warlemont in 3L, a man far more calculating than his neighbors believed. When a Nazi functionary with an interest in the Raphaëls moved into the building, every member of this accidental community would discover they were not the person they believed themself to be, and each must learn the truth about what, and who, mattered to them the most.

“Through an arresting symphony of the residents’ voices, debut novelist Austen carves a special place in the much-surveyed landscape of Holocaust fiction, especially in her homage to the importance of art. Equally remarkable is her ability to bestow attention on each of the many characters while still driving the plot forward . . . In a powerfully well-written novel, the most chilling thought is subtly said, ‘What is thinkable is also possible.’” (Booklist)

Shortlisted for the 2025  Women's Prize for Fiction, Fundamentally : A Novel * by Nussaibah Younis (also available in downloadable eBook) is a “stinging and entertaining debut novel.” (The Guardian)

When her article on the possibility of rehabilitating ISIS brides was published, Dr. Nadia Amin, a lecturer at the University College of London was tapped by the UN to lead a deradicalization program for women held in Iraqi refugee camps. With a painful breakup and strained relationship with her mother, Nadia leaped at the chance to get out of London. 

Upon arrival at Baghdad, Nadia quickly realized she was out of her depth. The heat was unrelenting, the support staff was hostile.  Her team, which included the “goody two-shoes” Sherri and Pierre, a snippy Frenchman was unhelpful. 

When Nadia met Sara, one of the younger refugees at the camp, and a fellow East Londoner, Nadia found her purpose, and was determined to get Sara home despite the young woman’s scepticism of rehabilitation programs and saw Nadia as a “slag with a saviour complex.”

“Younis tackles radicalism and racism, faith and friendship, with dexterity, deep care and a large dose of  laughter. Reading Fundamentally is like sitting through an action-packed blockbuster as the plot twists and turns, and as Nadia jumps through systemic and bureaucratic hoops to save the day… The novel is bitingly witty, and full of pungent jokes, but it also has a strong emotional pull. Fundamentally exposes the bureaucracy, hypocrisy and corruption widespread across both academia and activism, but its success lies in teaching us that repair and healing are slow, and never straightforward, processes.” (The Guardian)

Liquid, A Love Story * by Mariam Rahmani (also available in downloadable eBook) is a contemporary tale of looking for love in all the wrong places. Our narrator, an Iranian-Indian American scholar, an adjunct at UCLA is worried about her future prospects when she failed to turn her thesis into a book. Frustrated with the fact that she is no closer to the middle-class comfort promised to her by the prestige of her fancy, scholarship-funded education and the successes of her immigrant parents, she decides to take best friend Adam’s suggestion to “marry rich”. She makes a spreadsheet and outlines a goal: 100 dates with people of all genders and a marriage proposal in hand by the official start of the fall semester.

Just eleven dates shy of her goal, a frantic call brings her to Tehran where her father has suffered a heart attack. An overdue familial reckoning allows her to see that the eligible prospect she’s been looking for has been beneath her nose the entire time.

“A thoroughly modern combination of snark and sincerity on the road to love.” (Kirkus Reviews)

"Incisive... a whirlwind homage to the classic 'ridiculous first date' trope... sharp cultural criticism, particularly on dating and adulthood. Fans of Elif Batuman ought to take note." (Publishers Weekly)

 * * = 2 starred reviews

 * = Starred review

The In Crowd (in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by Charlotte Vassell won Best Novel.  A follow-up to The Other Half (eBook, and also in downloadable audiobook), Detective Caius Beauchamp of the London's Metropolitan Police returns to chronicle the bad behavior of England's upper crust.

While socialites and politicos are gathered in the garden of a large Georgian villa in Southwest London, nearby, a rowing team discovers a dead body floating in the Thames.  Meanwhile, Caius Beauchamp, attempting to enjoy an evening at the theatre, is shocked to discover another dead body, just a few seats away. Caius's investigation soon links the body to two seemingly unconnected cold cases: the decades-old disappearance of a teenage girl from a Cornish boarding school and the vanishing of an apparel executive who ran off with his company's pension fund 30 years ago and was never seen again.

“Caius launches inquiries into all three cases, which are complicated by the interference of a high-ranking politician with murky motives, as well as the detective's tentative romance with Callie Foster, an upscale milliner, who may be a witness to at least one of the crimes. Caius's quirky investigative partners, Matt Chung and Amy Noakes, also return, and the interplay among the three is even richer than in the previous entry.” (Publishers weekly)

“Readers don't need to have read The Other Half to enjoy this intriguing novel, but reading both is as satisfying as pairing a cup of Earl Grey and a lavender biscuit. In the final pages, Vassell lays the groundwork for a third installment that promises to be as enjoyable as the ones that preceded it. A stellar sophomore outing for an intriguing detective.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Holy City * by Henry Wise won Best First Novel (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook)

After a decade of exile precipitated by the tragic death of his mother, Will Seems returns home from Richmond (The Holy City) to rural Southern Virginia, taking a job as deputy sheriff. Nothing has changed in Euphoria County, Va.  - impoverished, abandoned, a land of tobacco plantations, razed forests, and boarded-up homes. 

When a mysterious, arson fire claims the life of an old friend, Tom Janders, and Zeke Hathom, father of another of Will's boyhood friends, is spotted running from the burning building, Will’s boss, Sheriff Mills, eager to close the case because of the upcoming election, refuses to consider Zeke’s innocence.

”When Zeke's friends and family hire PI Bennico Watts to help exonerate him, she and Will enter into an uneasy alliance and plunge together into Euphoria County's underworld. Wise propels the plot forward with flashbacks to the violence of Will's past and the shame that motivates his return.” (Publishers Weekly) 

“With a talent for writing place, Wise weaves his grim debut around topics of revenge, drug addiction, small-town politics, and the complications of returning to one's hometown. Actor/narrator Chris Henry Coffey's gravelly voice complements the scuffed-up, imperfect characters and the novel's atmospheric setting. This notable Southern noir debut is a welcome addition to the genre. For fans of gritty, small-town crime fiction and S.A. Cosby.” (Library Journal) 

* = Starred review

Here is the list of winners in all categories and the long list of nominees.

Homeseeking * *  by Karissa Chen (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook)

“From heart-wrenching regrets to breathtaking redemptions, Chen's debut novel seamlessly crosses geographical, cultural, and temporal barriers to deliver a love story that touches all extremes of the human condition.” (Booklist)

Zhang Suchi and Wang Haiwen met as children in Japanese-occupied Shanghai during the 1930s; and fell in love as teenagers. During the war between Mao's Communists and Chiang Kai Shek's Nationalists, a misguided Haiwen secretly enlisted in the Nationalist army in 1947 to save his brother from the draft, leaving Suchi his violin and a note: Forgive me. Soon after Suchi and her older sister were sent to Hong Kong as the fighting intensified in the Mainland. 

Meeting only briefly in the 1960s, they crossed paths again at a 99 Ranch Market produce section in Los Angeles in 2008. Though they follow different paths and marry other people, they remain emotionally "tethered to each other," as predicted in 1945 by a fortune teller.

“Over a decade in the making, Homeseeking embodies the ambitious scope of James Michener’s historical novels or (while not nearly as long) Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy. Chen’s ability to navigate effortlessly across cultures and eras reflects not only the depth of her research, but also her natural gifts as a storyteller.” (BookPage) 

Water Moon * * *  by Samantha Sotto Yambao  (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook)

For generations, the Ishikawa family owned and ran a pawnshop down a quiet alley in Toyko’s Asakusa District. It does not have a name and not everyone can find it. Most will see only a cosy ramen restaurant, but for the right clientele, it’s a place to pawn one’s life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as its new owner to find the pawnshop ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger Keishin, a brilliant physicist looking for ramen but insists on staying to help Hana find her father. 

“So unfurls a story that is equal parts adventure and romance, lighthearted and devastating, philosophical and emotionally resonant. Hana and Kei embark on a journey through Isekai, jumping into puddles and coming out in other realms, folding into paper, climbing ladders through clouds and witnessing the release of the stars”. (BookPage)

“...(a) lovely, cozy fantasy reminiscent of Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea (2019). This book is charming, fresh, and difficult to put down.” (Booklist) 

* * * = 3 Starred reviews

* * - 2 starred reviews

Housemates,*  Emma Copley Eisenberg’s fiction debut (also available in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is an "exceptional, keenly observed meditation on art and love in a fractured America." (People Magazine) 

Bernie Abbott, a barista and photographer answers an ad (four Swarthmore grads, looking for a fifth housemate… queer preferred) where she meets Leah McCausland, a media studies PhD candidate and begins an intense and defiantly uncategorizable friendship. Both aspire to capture the world around them: Leah through her writing; Bernie through her photography. 

When Bernie's former photography professor, the once-renowned but now-denounced Daniel Dunn, dies and leaves her a complicated inheritance, Leah volunteers to accompany Bernie to his home in Mifflin County to pick up Dunn's belongings, and the pair sets off on  a three-week journey that takes them through central Pennsylvania. 

“En route, they encounter rebellious cigarette-smoking Amish teens outside a country buffet and smarmy men lurking around their motel, and their partnership becomes not just creative but romantic." (Publishers Weekly) 

“The 2016 presidential election and the Covid-19 pandemic offer temporal touchstones. Shifting mores around sexuality and gender, the complicated demands of social justice movements, how we deal with bad people who create good art, and the difference between recording and actually seeing are just some of the topics Eisenberg lays out before setting her Gen Z protagonists loose to explore them…  Eisenberg has a poet's eye for truth, and her prose is gorgeously precise and empathetic while remaining cleareyed. Emotionally rich and quietly thought-provoking, this is simply a stunning debut.” (Kirkus Reviews) 

Off the Books * by Soma Mei Sheng Frazier (also available in downloadable eBook) is a fresh take on the classic American road novel.”  

Mei dropped out of Dartmouth just shy of graduation when her father died unexpectedly. Estranged from her mother, she leaned on her eccentric, pot-smoking, video game-playing lǎoyé (Mandarin for "grandfather") who bought her a car and convinced her to work off-the-book as a chauffeur, mostly for sex workers. Then he set her up with Henry Lee who hired Mei to drive him cross country, from San Francisco to Syracuse. 

Handsome and reserved, Henry piques Mei's interest. But what intrigues her most is his devotion to the enormous black suitcase which he totes everywhere, more concerned with taking frequent breaks than making good time on the road. 

“It's not long before we learn his secret: Stowed in his luggage is an 11-year-old Uyghur girl named Anna, whom he's trying to reunite with her father, who's in trouble with Chinese authorities.” (The Guardian)  

“Frazier expertly weaves historic and contemporary injustices faced by Chinese Americans and Uyghurs through this fast-paced, propulsive book, which is at its most powerful when depicting the way Mĕi's family navigates life after catastrophe. She has a knack for writing funny dialogue--scathing sarcasm underpinned by a great deal of love--and there are plenty of hilarious exchanges to lighten the dark political context of the novel. A vital, enthralling debut in which devastating social commentary is delivered with a wink.” (Kirkus Reviews)

 How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? by Anna Montague (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is a moving novel about love, loss, and new beginnings found on an unlikely road trip.

NYC psychologist Magda Eklund is about to turn 70 but she has no plan to celebrate, still grieving the sudden death of her life-long friend Sara. After helping the prickly widower sort through Sara’s things, she did not expect to be made custodian of Sara’s urn as well, just because the widower does not want the presence of the urn to upset his new girlfriend.    

While going through Sara’s old journal, Magda discovers her friend’s last directive: plans for a road trip they would take together in celebration of Magda’s birthday.  With the encouragement of her colleagues and friends, and with Sara’s urn in tow, Magda decides to hit the road.

“As Magda winds her way to the Southwest and through various touch points from their lives, she finds herself revisiting defining moments from the past, particularly her childhood and the relationship with her sister… As Magda makes her way back home, she finds herself forced to confront the realities of her relationship with Sara as well as her inner desires. Montague's debut novel imparts an affecting journey into the tricky bonds of grief and aging alongside the rewards of self-discovery.” (Booklist)   For fans of Mrs. Nash's Ashes (2023) 

 * = Starred review

The Three Lives of Cate Kay * * * (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook), debut novel by Emmy Award-winning sports journalist (and a former WNBL player) Kate Fagan, is one of the most anticipated releases in the new year, and the January pick of Reese’s Book Club.

Bestselling novelist Cate Kay, elusive author of the blockbuster trilogy The Very Best is about to discover how hard the media is trying to expose her, with the filming of the series adaptation about to begin, starring the current ‘it” girl Ryan Channing. The narrative, framed as Kay's unpublished memoir, gradually unravels her story. 

Anne Marie (called Annie) raised by a single mother in upstate New York, shared the dream of escaping to Hollywood with best friend and fellow thespian Amanda, after high school. A tragic accident the night before their departure forced Annie to travel alone, taking on the identity of Cass Ford, falling in with an ambitious law student named Sydney Collins. The pair moved to New York City and Cass began writing while working as a barista. 

“The story is presented as Cate Kay's memoir and sprinkled with her own footnotes, but it also offers brief chapters from the first-person viewpoints of many other characters, implying that Cass has reached out to them for their perspectives. Through this documentary-like setup, author Fagan is able to round out the picture of Annie/Cass/Cate and the way she's coped with various traumas. “(Kirkus Reviews)

“Though the pace is leisurely, the tension of the story is taut and explores how ambitions clash with genuine connection and test the humanity of compassionate relationships. It is intimate and personal and digs into the often-opaque motivations of its characters. At its heart, it is about how we deal--or don't deal--when tragedy strikes. Fagan's (All the Colors Came Out, 2021) journalism-honed observational skills make her fiction debut shine.” (Booklist) 

* * * = 3 starred reviews

The Full Moon Coffee Shop * *  by Mai Mochizuki is “(a) beautifully crafted contemporary fantasy debut”, (Publishers Weekly), a Japanese national bestseller translated by Jesse Kirkwood. (Also available in downloadable eBook and audiobook).

Each of the 5 chapters focuses on an individual whose life is changed by his/her encounter at the mysterious Kyoto coffee shop that appears only on nights of a full moon.

Mizuki Serikawa, once a much sought-after television script writer, now is barely able to support herself writing scripts for supporting characters in a video game dating sim. Her last-ditch pitch to director Akari Nakayama, a former colleague, is rejected. Though sympathetic, Akari was unable to interest the company executives to take a chance. Wandering aimlessly among the Kyoto neighborhoods along the Kamo River, Mizuki chanced upon the Full Moon Coffee Shop, recommended to her by two odd-looking strangers at a bar. This turns out to be a very unusual cat café staffed by feline astrologers, serving up coffee and decadent desserts, and a reading of the customers' horoscopes. 

“The coffee shop appears to several other Kyoto residents facing unexpected troubles in their personal and professional lives: director Akari, who's struggling against an unexpected attraction; actor Satsuki Ayukawa, whose career tanked after her affair with a married costar; hairdresser Megumi Hayakawa, who isn't satisfied in what she thought was her dream career; and IT startup founder Takashi Mizumoto, who is plagued with inexplicable tech trouble. The stories of all five characters subtly but cleverly intersect, pointing to an act of kindness in their pasts that gets mystically mirrored back to them in the present." (Publishers Weekly) 

In this Sunday’s New York Times Book Reviews, readers will find the delightful article  In Tumultuous Times, Readers Turn to ‘Healing Fiction’  - cozy, whimsical novels - often featuring magical cats - that have long been popular in Japan and Korea are taking off globally. Boy, do we need them now! 

Readers who enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold  (series) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (featured in the NYTimes article),  might also be interested in The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa, and The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa.

 * * = 2 starred reviews

Odd adj. strange or unexpected (OED)

Five-Star Stranger * *  by Kat Tang (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is a “moving and offbeat debut.” (Publishers Weekly)

For a decade our unnamed narrator offers his services on the Rent-a-Stranger app., ever so conscious of maintaining his hard-earned 5-star rating. He has been hired as a pretend fiance, a mourner at a funeral, as a drugged out brother to an aspiring writer looking for authenticity. But the most important and emotionally engaging gig for the past 8 years had been to pose as 10 year-old Lily’s father, as a long-distance truck driver in town once a week to spend time with her.

As Lily grows more inquisitive of her “father” and the family he never mentions, our stranger breaks the strict rules of maintaining a professional distance from his clients and puts his career in jeopardy. His backstory also slowly emerges - of a childhood interrupted by a cross-country move, a single mother who committed suicide in his teens, shedding light on his needs to be love and be loved.

 “Provocative, self-assured…Tang plays deftly with the conventions of romantic comedy, tempting the reader to long for the promise of happy endings and then throwing cold water on those hopes and embedding sharp ethical dilemmas in a cocoon of diverting dialogue. A smart look at people-pleasing taken to its illogical extreme.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Wordhunter * the debut novel by true-crime author Stella Sands (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is a gritty buddy-cop mystery that pairs two unlikely individuals. 

21 year-old, tattooed, pierced, hard-drinking, motorcycle-riding Maggie Moore, raised in ”the poverty-stricken armpit of rural central Florida", is a graduate student in forensic linguistics, a savant who has the uncanny ability to analyze words and speech patterns. Recommended by her professor, she successfully deciphers notes left by a stalker-turned-rapist to help the local police in identifying the pert. 

When Heidi, the young daughter of the mayor in the near-by town has been kidnapped, the Police Chief is eager to get Maggie involved. Paired with Silas Jackson, the gruff, seasoned detective who harbors his own secrets, the duo begin to analyze the texts, emails, and verbal tics of various suspects. The case triggers traumatic memories for Maggie whose best friend Lucy Tidwell went missing 7 years ago. 

“The more Maggie and Jackson dig, the more they worry that the culprit might be too powerful to touch--and that they've unwittingly affixed targets to their own backs. Sands nails the genius investigator formula on her first try, spinning Maggie into a memorable heroine and handing her an enthralling first case. This transfixes from the first page. “ (Publishers Weekly)

** = 2 Starred Reviews

*= Starred Review 

Shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize, (and the ONLY debut novel to be named) The Safekeep* *  by Yael van der Wouden (author website), which the judges called “a compelling and atmospheric story of obsession and secrets… (is) a novel that explores the things that are kept from us as children and the things we tell ourselves about our own hidden desires." (Also available in downloadable eBook and audiobook.)

Summer, 1961. In the rural Dutch province of Overijssel, Isabel lives alone in her late mother's country home. Fastidious and compulsive, she spends her days counting and caring for all the objects that came with the house when the family moved there in 1944. But her routine and discipline are upended when Louis, her older brother who inherited the property announces that his new girlfriend Eva will move in for the summer while he travels for work. Eva is messy, sleeps late and is too friendly with the maid. When things start disappearing around the house, Isabel's suspicions begin to spiral. At that point, the story takes an unexpected and dramatic turn that leads to stunning realizations about the women's entwined history.

“This is a beautifully realized book, nearly perfect, as van der Wouden quietly explores the intricate nuances of resentment-hued sibling dynamics, the discovery of desire (and the simultaneous discovery of self), queer relationships at a time when they went unspoken, and the legacy of war and what it might mean to have been complicit in its horrors. A brilliant debut, as multifaceted as a gem.” (Kirkus Reviews) 

"For readers who appreciate introspective historical fiction and LGBTQ+ coming out stories."(Booklist)

* * = 2 starred reviews

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook),  a “delightfully quirky office comedy” (Publishers Weekly) 

33 year-old Jolene Smith, an administrative assistant at the regional office of Supershop, a Canadian supermarket chain, endures 8-hours of mind-numbing work alongside her insufferable boss and incompetent colleagues, sustained only by copious amounts of gin, vodka and wine, whatever is handy. 

A careless mistake lands her in mandatory anti-harassment training, under the supervision of the new (and very hot) HR guy Cliff. An IT mix-up that is meant to allow Management to monitor her every keystroke, instead grants her access to the entire office’s private emails and DMs. With layoff rumors looming, Jolene realizes this might just be the key to getting revenge and getting ahead in the company. 

“As Jolene gets to know her co-workers better, she sees that they all have their secret heartbreaks and struggles, just like her… A beautiful, honest, and often funny look at loneliness and the courage it takes to simply keep going.” (Kirkus Reviews)  Perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. 

The Love of My Afterlife (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by Kirsty Greenwood, is “a boisterous death-defying rom-com.” (Publishers Weekly)

27 year-old Delphie Bookham never expects to end up in the afterlife waiting room choked on a microwaveable burger. If that’s not embarrassing enough, she is standing in her 'shine like a star' nightie in front of the hottest man she has ever seen, and their chemistry is undeniable. Unfortunately, he is not meant to be there.  Without hesitation, Delphie makes an impulsive deal with her romance-obsessed afterlife therapist, Merritt: Delphie gets 10 days to return to life and find the mysterious man. If she fails, she will spend eternity as the guinea pig for Merritt's afterlife dating agency.

“Returning to her quiet apartment with only 10 days to change her fate, Delphie learns that finding one's soulmate in the busy streets of London is challenging. More surprising is how Delphie's temporary new lease on life causes her to see her job, her friends, and her neighbors in new ways.” (Library Journal) 

Fans of The Good Place should snap this up.” (Publishers Weekly)

BONUS PICK

Shortlisted for the 2024 Kirkus Prize for Fiction, Margo's Got Money Troubles * * by Rufi Thorpe  (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is “a story of friendship, love, and family set in a different part of the big world of cyber-storytelling.” (Kirkus Reviews)

19 year-old Margo Miller, raised by a beauty-obsessed, self-involved single mother has her sights set on being a writer. A very brief affair with her junior college English (married) professor leaves her pregnant. After being fired from her waitressing job, and on the verge of being evicted, she is glad to take in her largely-absent father Jinx, an ex-pro wrestler when he comes knocking, in exchange for childcare. To generate income, Margo explores online porn work by posing on an OnlyFans account. Before she knows it, she has turned it into a runaway success… until her popularity leads to scrutiny and eventually a custody fight. 

“Thorpe infuses the portrayal of Margo and Jinx's relationship with sweetness, and she makes Margo a character to root for as the young mother learns how to support herself with help from her unconventional family.” (Publishers Weekly)

“The title is the only bad thing about this book. Terrific characters, rich worldbuilding, deep thoughts about fiction and morality, a love story, and a happy ending.” (Kirkus Reviews)

* * = 2 starred reviews

Ferdia Lennon’s Glorious Exploits * * * (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is the 2024 winner of the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. One of the judges called it “a riotous, exuberant treat of a novel, which celebrates the redemptive power of art, … madly ambitious and devastatingly affecting, but above all pure page-turning joy from start to finish.’’ 

412 BCE, Syracuse, Sicily. At the height of the Peloponnesian War, thousands of Athenian soldiers from a failed invasion were held prisoners in the limestone quarries on the outskirts of the city. Starved and left to broil in the relentless sun, the Athenians were eager to participate when 2 young Sicilians hatched an outrageous scheme. 

Our narrator, 30 year-old Lampo and his friend Gelon, two directionless, unemployed potters with a soft spot for poetry and wine, were admirers of the great playwright Euripides. To pass the time, they frequented the quarries, offering food in exchange for a few lines of poetry. Then the friends decided to enlist the prisoners in a full-blown production of Medea and The Trojan Women.  

“Glorious Exploits, is very much a story about the power of stories - and the spiritual and emotional succour they give.” (The Guardian)

“Exploring themes of friendship, loyalty, and the toll of war, Lennon evokes a time when it was common to relish and revere the art of Homer's poetry and Euripides' drama. Those with that appetite today are fortunate to have Madeline Miller, Emily Wilson, Pat Barker, and recently James Hynes' Sparrow. And Lennon. An entertaining and impressive debut.” (Kirkus Reviews)

 * * * = 3 starred reviews