Secrecy

If you peek inside the cover of Little Bee by Chris Cleave, you will be greeted with the message, “We don’t want to tell you what happens in this book.”  Search reviews, and you will find much the same message: this is a compelling story, but you’ll have to trust us on that.  Why the secrecy?  Little Bee, which follows two very different women, hinges on an event that isn’t fully revealed until well into the story.  From the arresting first sentence (“Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl.”) to the pivotal scene that entwines the characters, this is a tale that draws its power in how it is told.  Both haunting and hopeful, Little Bee shouldn't be missed.  Trust us.  

"Not All Deaths Are Equal"

Cathleen of the Fiction/AV/Teen Department recommends Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup:

When playboy Vicky Rai shot doctoral student Ruby Gill in the face and neck in front of fifty witnesses, all because she refused to serve him a drink, the nation gasped.  Later, when Rai was acquitted, riots broke out.  So it is no surprise that he himself is murdered at the very party he throws to celebrate his release.  When the guests are searched, six separate individuals are found to have guns in their possession: a dim-witted American tourist, an ambitious politician, a Bollywood star, a primitive tribesman, a cell phone thief, and a corrupt bureaucrat who claims to have become Mahatma Ghandi.  Each has a secret, and each had just as good a reason to want Rai dead.  In his follow-up to Slumdog Millionaire, author Vikas Swarup casts a fascinating story of mystery and vengeance.  One by one the characters are revealed, but the pieces won’t fully come together until the shocking end.

The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam

Vaudeville did rise and vaudeville did fall. Popular entertainment went from on-stage to on screen. Idols from the cabaret era went from full-houses to being shelved under forgotten, as was the case with Long Tack Sam. The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam is Ann Marie Fleming’s attempt to write an illustrated memoir, a graphic novel extraordinaire, that would bring her great-grandfather back into the lexicon of pop culture. With the use of photos, timelines, illustrations, handbills and newspaper clippings, Fleming traces Long Tack Sam’s life, from his birth in 1885 in a rural Chinese village, to his rise as a premier acrobat and magician, to his renown as on opening act for the Marx Brothers and even as a mentor to Orson Welles.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me A Match

In a most charming debut set in contemporary India, we are introduced to Mr. Ali, a recent retiree.  After a lifetime of working hard, he thought his days would be free and easy.  Too free and easy, as it turns out, because his constant presence and second-guessing of household matters is driving his wife crazy.  In order to preserve harmony at his home, he begins a new enterprise: he opens a matchmaking service!  The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama is the story of his venture and those he serves.  Clients ask to consider caste, religion, extended family, and even height as they plan for the perfect mate.  Fans of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency will easily fall in love with this sweet, engaging tale of modern romance and hopeful endings. 

Sweet Nothings and the Censors

The world of writing is backdrop to a sweet and frustrated romance in the provocative Censoring an Iranian Love Story by Shahriar Mandanipour.  Young lover Dara first woos his Sara by secreting coded messages in Tehran library books.  Just as they are inhibited by the constraints of their culture, the author of their story is limited in his freedom to write.  He, too, is a character, and he interrupts the narrative to justify his preemptive choices for the tale.  Passages in the story appear crossed out, and we witness his ongoing exchanges with the exacting censor.  The skillful interplay of one mischievous courtship with the more sober issue of censorship makes for an unforgettable read, one that was originally written in Farsi but is unpublished in Iran.

When One Door Closes

Losing your job as a premise for romantic comedy?  It may not be an obvious pitch, especially these days, but Outsourced is a crowd-pleasing story on a touchy topic.  Todd Anderson (Josh Hamilton) is told that not only is his entire department being outsourced, but he must personally travel to India to train his replacement.  When employee Asha (the winning Ayesha Dharker) challenges several of his presumptions, he begins to better appreciate his temporary home.  A love letter to India, Outsourced offers a taste of the exotic and a full serving of feel-good entertainment.

Three Cups of Tea

Joyce of the Fiction/AV/Teen Department recommends Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin:

In a world full of bad news and problems so big that many do nothing, Greg Mortenson is a breath of fresh air. In 1993, failing at his attempt to conquer K2, emaciated and lost, Mortenson wanders into a small Pakistani village. There he finds help and healing with the Balti people. He vows to repay their kindness by building the village’s first school, offering education to the boys and girls of this small village. His promise changes the course of his life and the lives of thousands of children. This book chronicles his experiences and the way he brought about amazing results in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

Eighty Minutes of Memory

Imagine interacting with someone whose memory lasts exactly eighty minutes.  Such is the dilemma of a single mother who is sent to work for a brilliant but tragically injured mathematician.  As Yoko Ogawa’s elegant novel unfolds, a housekeeper and her young son navigate the challenges of this new friendship (for instance, reintroducing themselves each day) but also find themselves connecting through number lessons that are nothing short of poetic.  Exquisitely touching, The Housekeeper and the Professor speaks to the beauty of simplicity and to the bonds that mean most. Without a doubt, the proofs of these lessons reach far beyond mere math problems.

An Irish Charmer

The pluck of the Irish glitters like the proverbial pot of gold in 1998’s Waking Ned Devine.  When a neighbor literally dies of shock at the news he won the lottery, Jackie O’Shea (Ian Bannen) and Michael O’Sullivan (David Kelly) decide that their friend would want them to claim the prize.  In order to pull off the scheme, they must enlist the cooperation of the entire village in more than a bit of blarney.  What unfolds is as comically outrageous as it is charming, and the winning performances alone are worth gambling on a ticket.

Fly Me to the Moon

Will history repeat itself?  Twenty years ago, Xiao Yanqiu was the rising star of the Peking Opera.  Her glittering future dimmed shockingly when in a jealous tantrum she threw boiling water on her understudy.  The Moon Opera, a slim but poignant volume written by Bi Feijyu, tells the story of a ruined diva offered a second chance to recreate the role she was born to play.  Traditionally, even the smallest gesture adds great impact to Chinese opera production, and the author infuses his story of backstage drama with the same intentional grace and melancholy beauty.