I was captivated right off the bat by this book’s title and cover. Both are such perfect representations of what is inside: enigmatic, a little dirt-stained, filled with many shades of gray — but mostly, two people holding each other. The book radiates with love flowering in the most difficult circumstances. It’s the story of…
The Kamchatka Peninsula is as far east as you can go in Russia. Set in the North Pacific Ocean, it is about the size of New Zealand but only has about 400,000 residents. Its isolation and beauty make it unique, as does its ethos – a juxtaposition of Russian culture, indigenous tribes, and the legacy…
Lisa See’s latest novel is set on a beautiful volcanic island off the coast of South Korea called Jeju. Nowadays it’s called “Honeymoon Island,” but until the end of the 20th century, it was the home of the haenyo, or sea women. These women formed diving collectives and caught seafood to feed and support their…
On a beautiful fall morning in Paris, things are not normal. Kate Moore, expat American in Paris, mother of two, and clandestine CIA agent, senses it almost immediately. There are sirens in the distance, too many, coming closer, and she wonders if this is the day her world will begin to fall apart. Over the…
Professor Chandra, noted Cambridge economics professor, has been passed over for the Nobel Prize. Again. Estranged from his family, and realizing that the prize may be forever out of his reach, he finds himself adrift. After an unexpected bicycle accident, he takes a temporary position in Orange County and tries to reconnect with his ex-wife…
