This week in First Impressions, we bring you Homestead by Melinda Moustakis, a historical novel about a spontaneously married couple homesteading amid the Alaskan wilderness in the 1950s, and Zig-Zag Boy, Tanya Frank's memoir about the difficulties of mothering her son after he experienced a psychotic break.

We also hope you enjoy our recent reading list of coming-of-age books for adults, all of which come highly recommended by our reviewers.

And be sure to check out our latest Wordplay, plus our lineup of current and upcoming book club discussions.

With best wishes,

Davina Morgan-Witts

BookBrowse Publisher

Each month we give away books to BookBrowse members who live in the U.S. to read and review. Here are their opinions on two recently released titles.

"Lawrence and Marie Beringer bite off more than they can chew when they marry less than a month after they meet in Alaska, 1956. It is a marriage built on infatuation and physical attraction. They have many lessons to learn while they live in an old bus and slowly clear 150 acres of land...over a period of two years. They are homesteaders who barely know one another. Each chapter of the book is a monthly chronicle of their marriage building and property construction. The author's prose details their emotions through thick and thin with astute and fresh writing. The characters have hidden feelings, sometimes allowing lies to mask their daily lives. It's wonderful to read such an original work of fiction." - Barbara B. (Evansville, IN)

"Moustakis's prose is beautiful, with lyrical descriptions of Alaska wilderness, seasons and characters from the 1950s, as well as Alaska's transition from territory to statehood. Even after finishing it, the book continues to haunt me. It would be a great choice for a book club because it would stimulate a lot of discussion on multiple fronts." - Molly M. (Anchorage, AK)

"There is so much to love about this book... full of stories of wildlife encounters and connecting with nature, Lawrence and Marie's marriage, and the hard work they both put in to establishing themselves in the wild, and with each other in their marriage. Beautifully written!" - Pamela C. (Boxborough, MA)

"Zig-Zag Boy is Tanya Frank's memoir about her heartbreaking journey through a decade of trauma after her 19-year-old son Zach experienced a sudden psychotic break. Right from the first terrifying chapter, I was gripped by her descriptions of her frantic search for answers to explain his bizarre, life-threatening symptoms. I was also amazed at her resilience as she navigated the over-burdened healthcare systems in Los Angeles, and her native England, through multiple diagnoses and failed treatments. Frank's writing is specific, fluid, and emotional; you feel her anguish and frustration as she struggles to keep Zach alive, ever hopeful of finding a way for them both to live with the relentless uncertainty of his condition. She finds she must also tend to her own mental and physical health and keep her relationship with her wife intact. Throughout years of dark moments, Frank seeks solace in the natural world." - Linda A. (Encino, CA)

"Whether you are a parent or not, Tanya Frank's journey in this beautifully detailed memoir has put a new face on the mental health crisis... It should be a read at every book club, not only for the storyline and information, but as a precursor for all of us to realize we all need to be part of the mental health crisis solution in any way we can. Kudos to the author for bringing her story to the forefront so maybe our stories can have a different ending." - Arlene I. (Johnston, RI)

"Though I'm not usually a memoir reader, Tanya Frank is a wonderful writer and I was hooked from the book's first pages. The story reminded me of the novel Dear Edward, and as I read—as a mother of a son—Frank's love for Zach reminded me of my son and me... Frank's memoir is a testament to not allowing fear and loss to win." - Barbara F. (Santa Monica, CA)

In the latest issue of the BookBrowse Review, you'll find reviews and "beyond the book" articles for 16 books, including Pulitzer Prize finalist Margaret Verble's Stealing, plus the debut novels The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff and Wade in the Water by Nyani Nkrumah. We also bring you a blog post on the 100th anniversary of the publisher W.W. Norton & Company, a new literary quiz, a Wordplay and much more.

This twice-monthly online-magazine is just one benefit of being a BookBrowse member.

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Coming-of-age plots are a staple of YA books, as the changes of adolescence and the transition to adulthood have special relevancy to the teenage perspective. But adults can benefit from coming-of-age stories too. Gaining some distance from your own experience of growing up provides a place from which to reflect more deeply on the experiences of others, and any thoughtful story that leads readers through the inevitable, pivotal changes we all encounter in certain early stages of life is likely to give book groups something relatable and interesting to talk about.

All 17 recommended books are rated five stars by our reviewers, and they all come with reading guides to help you organize quality conversations with your book club.

Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a 6-month membership to BookBrowse!

The answer to the last Wordplay: A P I W A T Words

Meaning: Visual images have greater impact than words

Many sources attribute this expression to Frederick R. Barnard, who published a 1921 article on the effectiveness of graphics in advertising with the title, "One look is worth a thousand words." Barnard, in turn, attributed the expression to "a Japanese philosopher."

In 1927, Printers Ink, a trade magazine for the advertising industry, wrote: "Chinese proverb. One picture is worth ten thousand words," but there is no evidence that it is of Chinese origin, nor for the more specific claims that it originates with Confucius.

What is clear is that variations existed long before Barnard. ... continued

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