My Spring Reading List.

The Promise by Ann Weisgarber 

The Promise is an intriguing and poignant “outsider” tale juxtaposing the narratives of two strong women who are forced to interact when a hastily arranged marriage remakes them as maid and mistress in the household of a grieving widower and his young son.  The novel superbly explores women’s limited choices and agency in both love and career at the beginning of the 20th century. Weisgarber wisely sets her tale of longing and heartbreak against the haunting backdrop of logistically isolated Galveston, Texas, on the eve of one of the most destructive storms of the twentieth century. The Promise is an achievement not only for its fascinating historical perspective and detail, but for its deeply drawn characters and intimate portrayal of the demands of duty, loyalty, love and sacrifice.

The Geometry of Love by Jessica Levine 

Unfulfilled artistic longing and a pathological bent for uncertainty drives an aspiring poet to risk her staid, yet stable relationship in pursuit of an influential creative from her past. Set in 1980s New York City, the angst nearly bleeds from the page in this sharp look at one woman’s impassioned attempts at self-realization in both love and art. 

The Three by Sarah Lotz


Deliciously literary, thought-provoking and creepy, The Three is surprising at every turn. Just when readers have the story all figured out the ground shifts, turning this novel into something not only better, but infinitely more frightening. 

The Fever by Megan Abbott

Abbot is a gem of a writer whose craft and expertise grow with each new work. Her compassionate exploration of teen girls and the forces that shape them is unsurpassed. The Fever is both a fascinating and intelligent mystery, as well as a tender coming-of-age novel.

The Lemon Grove by Helen Walsh

Though ostensibly in love after years of marriage, Greg and Jenn’s relationship takes a rapid turn into bitterness and malcontent as long simmering resentments erupt, and Jenn fights an undeniable attraction to her daughter’s sexy and brooding teen-aged boyfriend. The uncomfortable terrain of sexual jealousy and disintegrating family relationships and loyalties are unflinchingly considered against the backdrop of an idyllic beach vacation in this fraught but beautifully rendered novel. The Lemon Grove packs an intense punch long past the afternoon it takes to read it.

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