The Wildling Sisters by Eve Chase

I am highly recommending THE WILDLING SISTERS by Eve Chase (she also wrote the Library Journal star-reviewed Black Rabbit Hall). This is a superb mystery set at Applecote Manor over two different time periods, summer of 1959 and present day. In the past, the teenage Wilde sisters -- beautiful Flora, adventuresome Pam, Margot (primary narrator) and 12 year-old Dot – are sent to the countryside to stay with their Aunt Sybil and Uncle Perry (who calls them the Wildlings).  The siblings, especially Margot, recall happier times when they spent summers at Applecote Manor with their cousin Audrey who mysteriously disappeared five years ago when she was twelve. The adults are fairly dysfunctional, still struggling with their grief so the sisters find distraction and romance with Harry Gore, son of the local Lord, and his cousin, Tom.

Shifting back and forth with the present, author Chase relates the story of the new owners of Applecote Manor, The Tuckers: City businessman Will, his second and therefore insecure wife, Jessie, their 3 year-old named Romy and his teenage daughter called Bella.  As might be expected, there is some tension due to the blended family situation and it is compounded by Will’s frequent absences.

In both time periods, there is a hint of menace and danger, of secrets and silence. Despite the fifty year difference, both Margot and Bella are curious about Audrey’s disappearance and disconcerting items like small bouquets and a heart-shaped button appear again and again.  If you enjoy titles by Kate Morton, or The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, Eve Chase’s new mystery THE WILDLING SISTERS is one you will not want to miss.

Goodbye Vitamin by Rachel Khong

I was honestly surprised by how much I liked GOODBYE, VITAMIN by Rachel Khong.  In this debut, Khong shares the story of Ruth, who at 30 years old has just experienced a broken engagement and moves home to help her parents cope with her father’s Alzheimer’s disease. Instead of being overly sad, this book is sweet and gentle, filled with many poignant moments.  Ruth’s Dad, a history professor, is no longer employed by the university, but past students arrange for a clandestine class, giving him purpose and focus.  There is also quite a bit of humor interspersed and some charming anecdotes from Ruth’s childhood, complete with the wonder of a child’s questions (What flavor are germs? Have you ever watched a moth eat clothes?), recorded years ago in notebooks by her Dad.

Much like the self-reflections in the recently published Chemistry by Weike Wang, readers are given insight to Ruth’s musings about her personal life and about her Dad: “You mentioned that there were some things on your mind, but lately you were having trouble getting to them – accessing them.  You had the feeling that all the thoughts were in a box covered in tape, and the trouble was there was too much tape, and the trouble was you didn’t have the proper tools to access them – no scissors and no knife – and it was a lot of trouble – everyday it was new trouble – trying to find the end of the tape.” To me, the combination of Ruth’s life healing and expanding while her father’s life shrinks makes dealing with Alzheimer’s feel more real, in some ways similar to the family relationships and patient care presented by Eric Rill in An Absent Mind.  GOODBYE, VITAMIN is a relatively short read (208 pages) and received a starred review from Booklist. as well as being named an amazon Best Book of July 2017.  

When the English Fall by David Williams

I enjoyed WHEN THE ENGLISH FALL by David Williams even though this is a novel about truly hard times due to a solar storm and resulting disruption in power sources and modern life. Williams’ debut novel is extremely well-written, taking the unique perspective of an Amish farmer, Jacob. In his diary, Jacob describes seeing planes fall from the sky and subsequent fires.  He details the work of the farm, the hardships and food shortages faced by the English (his “modern” neighbors) and his own crisis of faith about the amount of aid and to whom it should be given.  His comments are often peaceful and reflective: “I could see, here and there, a whisper of yellow in the leaves of the big oak near the gate.  Not much yet, just a hint, like the first speckle of pepper gray in a man’s beard.” 

Jacob chronicles events as the situation worsens, food becomes even more scarce and violence increases. A National Guardsman tells him, “It’s like the world just came to an end. … Only we’re all still here.” WHEN THE ENGLISH FALL also offers insight on the relationships between Jacob and his family (his father, his wife Hannah and children Sadie and Jacob) and his friends – both Amish and English. Clearly, Jacob is a thoughtful, hard-working man who is looked upon for wisdom and leadership, which he accepts reluctantly: “This is part of the greatest danger to our souls, a pride that can come when we set ourselves apart to be servants, but then assume that our servanthood makes us better.”  

WHEN THE ENGLISH FALL received well-deserved starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal.