Dave Graan’s novel is a journalistic marvel. The author lays the foundation of the Osage Murders with beautiful prose. While the historical context may seem a hefty lift, the compelling narrative of the unraveling is a worthy wait. This novel reads like fiction but is written with a precise, digestible journalistic lens. Months after finishing Killers of the Flower Moon, I think often about the novel. It’s an emblem for my own writing.
Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s novel is haunting and dark. The prose is stunning. The characters feel authentic and wholly three dimensional. I felt like I was standing next to the protagonist as she journeyed through making sense of her world. The relationships are rich. The fragility of the characters proves that humans are fallible.
Where The Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson
Brandon Hobson’s novel is curiosity and longing in a lost teenage soul. The narrative explores spirituality and culture and the implications of growing up in a broken home. It speaks truth to just how far people will go to build connections. Sadness and loneliness pierce through every page, yet I felt empathy and understanding with the protagonist.
How High We Go In The Dark by Sequioa Nagamatsu
Sequioa Nagamatsu’s novel explores belonging in times of hardship. Each section of the book is a vignette unfolding the experience of one person amongst a global health crisis. The narrative is heart-wrenching. I teared up. I laughed. I chortled a mixture of the two. How High We Go In The Dark made me question the value of connection when faced with survival.
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Amanda Peters’ novel posits the thought: if your life were to upend at an early age, can you still find belonging in your family? The narrative is tragic and brilliant. The author is honest about mental health and about discovering identity into and past the golden years. Within the backdrop of the migrant community. This novel is a reminder about the strength of family, no matter how tenuous it might seem in a given moment.
All Friends Are Necessary by Tomas Muniz
Tomas Muniz’s novel is about starting over while carrying the grief and friendships of the past. The narrative explores the protagonist’s craving to move forward while still healing from trauma that left many unprocessed emotions. Within the confines of the COVID-19 epidemic. I resonated with the protagonist and with the motif of the novel.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah’s novel emphasizes the power of voice from marginalized groups. A woman excommunicated from her family is forced to figure out her path time and again. Hannah reminds readers that the brave are the ones who create positive change yet the brave have often endured the most. This novel reignited my passion for political activism.
What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher
T. Kingfisher’s novel is an unsettling warning call for what may happen if you blindly rely on your environment. It advocates readers to understand nature and their surroundings. Nature is emotive like humankind. Symbiosis comes with education. What Moves The Dead bolstered my interest in environmental science.
The Wedding People by Alison Espbach
Alison Espbach’s novel details the grim reality of a broken marriage and how light shines through the darkest hearts. The narrative details the power of unexpected connections. It proves that first impressions aren’t everything. Sometimes it takes multiple interactions to see a person’s true intentions. I finished this novel feeling hopeful of humankind and hopeful that one day I will feel fully healed.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Sayaka Murata’s novel shares the challenge of understanding identity through a neurodivergent lens. The narrative showcases the downfall of routine, of trying out other people’s characteristics as one’s own to fit into societal expectations. Convenience Store Woman opines that a person cannot feel authentically themselves until they find their identity. Once they know their identity, much of the rest of their path will fall into place. This novel encouraged me to stay true to myself and the unknown will soon become known.