One of the biggest perks in being a bookseller is the opportunity to read advanced readers copies of books on the near horizon. Within the last three weeks, I have devoured two incredible reads: Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood and Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore.
Followers of Margaret Atwood have been awaiting with curiosity and anticipation her next release. Having been a fan of Atwood’s for decades, I remember the jolt I initially got from reading The Handmaid’s Tale, Cat’s Eye, and Oryx and Crake. A couple of years ago, Lemuria’s book club “Atlantis” discussed Oryx and Crake, so I was delighted to find two of the same characters toward the end in this new release Year of the Flood. A true dystopic novel based on the scary prediction of what may be yet to come in our world as we know it, Atwood invents a group of people called God’s Gardeners comprised of “Adams” and “Eves” who seek to learn how to live off the land in order to prepare themselves for the inevitable breakdown of society and commerce. In The Year of the Flood, Atwood describes a waterless flood which in essence means the world is near total destruction from a deadly virus which sweeps through the world like a merciless flood. The “brainiac” scientific community has been busy gene splicing creating such animals as the lamb/wolf and the super intelligent pig and the sheep with purple tinted human hair. Atwood’s innate ability to keep the reader entertained with some humor, all the while creating a disturbing scenario marks her as one of the very best writers today. Look forward to a September 1 release!
Known for the success of her 1994 novel Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?, Lorrie Moore creates another page turner with Gate at the Stairs. A true bildungsroman, or coming of age story, Moore introduces the reader to a eighteen year old college freshman female who leaves home and encounters the usual challenges of freedom mixed with responsibilities and romance. However, when she gets her first job as a child care provider of an adopted African American two-year-old little girl living with a Caucasian family, a myriad of new experiences and feelings shakes her world. Joy, pain, sorrow, anger, and in the end hope all mix together in a beautiful way although at times the novel becomes overly steeped in correct political awareness. References to native flower and fauna thrown in to describe the native countryside add a nice touch and levity much needed at times. Moore’s true ability to draw the reader into poignant feelings of the characters gives her a special place in modern day novels with current societal issues. In the end, this coming of age well developed story rings true simultaneously causing the reader to wish for, and yet be relieved to be past, the delicate adolescent turning point of human awareness. Look for Moore’s new release on September 9!
-Nan
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