Recommended by staffer Ellen J.

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Recommended by Ellen J. and Ellen B.

Read Ellen J.'s review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3599826

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I was completely drawn into this novel’s dark atmosphere which hid both ghostly secrets and shadowy truths from the narrator, a young woman hired to write the life story of Britain’s most famous and reclusive author. Set in England in an old manor complete with gardens, a library and dutiful servants who have their own secrets, this book reminded me of Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier and also my childhood favorite, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. As she puts together the pieces of the mystery which include abandoned babies, mysterious fires and wild twins, the narrator ultimately unearths Vida Winter’s secrets but also finds romance and reconciliation with her own tragic past.

--Recommended by Ellen J.

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This is the 2008 Pulitzer prizewinner for literature. It is rich, but simultaneously gritty. There is a lot of what is termed in reviews "street language," which felt a little brutal--especially since I was listening to the excellent audiobook. Still, this book is rich with varied use and experiments with language, cultural and historical references, immigration issues, and third world issues (Dominican Republic).

It is basically the story of intelligent but socially inept, Oscar, a comic book and "speculative genres," i.e., science fiction/fantasy, fanatic. He is a hopeless (truly) romantic, who manages to get close enough to women to actually develop platonic intimacy, but is always frustrated by no physical progress with them. I really loved the book because the characters are so flawed, real, but sympathetic, and the experiments with language, from the most vulgar to the most challenging of erudite vocabulary and cultural references are really intellectually stimulating.

--Recommended by Susie

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--Recommended by Jo. A 2012 staff favorite.

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A 2011 staff favorite.

“The Tiger’s Wife’’by Tea Olbreht unfolds in an unnamed Balkan country scarred from the aftermath of civil war that split Yugoslavia into several independent countries in the 1990s. Natalia is a young, idealistic doctor following in her beloved grandfather’s footsteps.

The book begins with Natalia traveling on a mercy mission to an orphanage to inoculate children. During the journey, she receives the shattering news that her grandfather has died mysteriously, far from home. In her grief, Natalia recalls sweet childhood memories of going with her grandfather to visit the tigers at the zoo. She recounts how he often read to her from a worn copy of “The Jungle Book’’, which he always carried in his suit jacket.

While Natalia investigates the strange circumstances of her grandfather’s death, she remembers two fable-like characters he told her about from his past -- the Tiger’s Wife and The Deathless Man. These magical stories, steeped in local customs and superstitions, are mesmerizing and unforgettable. Author Tea Obreht, who was born in Yugoslavia in 1985 and came to the United States when she was 12, has penned a stirring debut novel about her homeland.

--Reviewed by Jo

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--Recommended by Connie, Ellen and Jo. A 2012 staff favorite.

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A 2012 staff favorite.

Recommended by Ellen J. Read her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/241152664

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Recommended by Ellen J.

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A 2013 staff fiction favorite. Recommended by Jane.

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