This week, our First Impressions reviewers cover a sensitive fictional portrayal of an underrepresented issue: Katherine Seligman's At the Edge of the Haight is a non-judgmental and eye-opening take on homelessness in San Francisco.
In a special Editor's Choice, we bring you new "beyond the book" articles related to recently featured First Impressions works our member-reviewers loved. These include a selection of online writing by The Prophets author Robert Jones Jr.; a look at Black women in the suffragette movement accompanying the anthology Stories from Suffragette City; and an overview of Agatha Christie's first marriage, which served as background material for Marie Benedict in the writing of her historical novel The Mystery of Mrs. Christie.
Plus, if you're wondering what the landscape is looking like for book clubs in 2021, see what we found out in our most recent article based on our Book Clubs in Lockdown report.
Very best,
Davina
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Each month we give away books to BookBrowse members who live in the U.S. to read and review. Members who choose to participate receive a free book about every 3-4 months. Here are their opinions on one recently released title. |
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At the Edge of the Haight
by Katherine Seligman
"Katherine Seligman's book At the Edge of the Haight is a thoroughly engrossing and thought-provoking story about Maddy, her dog Root (one of my favorite characters) and the friends who have become her family while living on the streets in San Francisco. The book is both a coming-of-age story and a mystery. It is at times tender, hostile and violent. It makes one feel the anxiety, fear and utter tediousness of life on the street. Seligman has given us a taut, well-written story with an interesting plot and well-developed characters... It would make a great book for discussing in a book club." - Sherilyn R. (St. George, UT)
"Why would a young person choose to live as a homeless person? At age 18 Maddy Donaldo went to San Francisco to live on the streets and parks of Haight-Ashbury. Along with others she met she begs for money and eats out of garbage cans. She sleeps in shelters, on the ground in the park, in abandoned houses or store doorways during summer heat and cold rainy winters. I liked this book and would recommend it as an eye opener to the struggles of the homeless and how they deal with life; one day at a time." - Peggy A. (Fairfax, VA)
"I understand why this book was the winner of the PEN/Bellwether prize for socially engaged fiction... While many books promise to give readers an insider's view of name the situation or social program, author Katherine Seligman artfully avoids warning against bad choices, bad parenting or bad society while also avoiding the over-glamorization of this alternative lifestyle. Instead, this novel empathetically pulls the reader into a realistic portrayal of homelessness and dumpster diving for food, along with sorrows of families who have lost someone to life on the streets. I don't think I will ever drive or walk by another homeless person without thinking of this book." - Rebecca R. (Western USA)
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Algonquin Books. Novel/Mystery. 304 pages. Published Jan 19, 2021
Number of Reader Reviews: 31, Readers' Consensus: 3.9/5.0
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For Members: The BookBrowse Review |
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The just-published issue of The BookBrowse Review, our twice-monthly membership magazine, is packed with new reviews and articles; plus author interviews, recommendations for book clubs and previews of notable books publishing over the next two weeks.
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Please do tell your book-loving friends and family living in these areas! |
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In previous weeks, we have featured the following books that have been reviewed favorably by our First Impressions readers. Now, we invite you to enjoy these related "beyond the book" articles that expand on the reviews. |
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The Prophets
by Robert Jones Jr.
From the Reader Reviews
"This is a powerful novel that is sure to garner some awards in 2021. It is a fantastic debut from Jones, who followed the advice of Toni Morrison (as indicated in his acknowledgements) and wrote the book he wanted to read, but could not find (Robert M). This would be a good book club selection, allowing for much discussion of not only the story and the characters, but also the literary techniques the author uses to create a vivid world where hatred, love, desire, self-loathing, loss and other emotions are raw and on full display (Rosemary C). Jones' lyrical language transports you to the time and place and, despite the difficult subject matter, I didn't want to put the book down (Danielle M)."
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Beyond the Book: A Selection of Writing
by Robert Jones Jr.
"The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. is a work of historical fiction that follows the relationship between Isaiah and Samuel, two enslaved men in love on a plantation in the Antebellum South. While the book is Jones' debut novel, he is an established essayist, blogger and cultural critic. Below are a few notable examples of his published work.
"Let It Burn," which was published in The Paris Review in June of 2020 during protests following the murder of George Floyd, reflects on the general phenomenon of antiblackness in the United States and more specifically on police brutality. Jones points out that the American police force cannot be separated from its origins in Antebellum South networks dedicated to controlling Black people through state-sanctioned violence. He asserts that resistance is necessary "even if defeat is imminent," saying that he does not believe that liberation is possible "through superficial and incremental reforms," and uses the image of holding a flame to a tick's body as a metaphor for dismantling corrupt institutions rather than attempting to fix a system that is inherently broken." ... continued
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G.P. Putnam's Sons. Historical Fiction. 400 pages. Published Jan 5, 2021 |
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Stories from Suffragette City
edited by M.J. Rose & Fiona Davis
From the Reader Reviews
"I loved this book! Really loved it. Although I am not a fan of short stories, I was drawn to this book because of the authors. I didn't know much about the 1915 Women's Suffragette March. As a side note, I also learned reading short stories can be as fulfilling as reading a whole novel (Martha S). Because of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment in 2020, I've been reading a great deal of both fiction and nonfiction based on the women and men who were part of the more than 80-year struggle. Of all the volumes I've read, this will take pride of place on my shelves. I highly recommend it (Patricia E)."
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Beyond the Book:
Black Women in the Suffrage Movement
"A couple of the pieces in Stories from Suffragette City — most notably "American Womanhood" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez — explore the often forgotten reality that Black and other non-white women were explicitly excluded from the movement for women's suffrage in America.
In the late 19th/early 20th centuries, some Black women involved in activism felt an element of tension with regard to their race and gender. Some organizations and individuals fighting for racial equality were not so keen on advancing the rights of women, while some women's suffrage organizations were dismissive of the fight for racial equality. The American Equal Rights Association was formed in 1866 to "secure Equal Rights to all American citizens" by suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, and abolitionist and Black rights activist Frederick Douglass served as one of its vice presidents. The organization disbanded just three years later due to in-fighting about whether or not to support the 15th Amendment, which extended suffrage to Black males. While arguing against the amendment, Stanton made abhorrent racist comments about men of color, suggesting that they were not educated or civilized enough to take part in the political process." ... continued
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Henry Holt and Company. Short Stories. 272 pages. Published Oct 27, 2020 |
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The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
by Marie Benedict
From the Reader Reviews
"Blending events from Agatha's life with a writing style familiar to fans of Christie's novels, Marie Benedict pays homage to Christie's detective fiction (Shawna). The mystery of Agatha Christie's 11-day disappearance in December, 1926 has persisted to this day. Marie Benedict presents a wonderfully engaging and thrilling answer to that mystery with twists and turns worthy of any Christie whodunit (Barbara E)."
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Beyond the Book: Agatha Christie's First Marriage
"In The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, Marie Benedict explores mystery writer Agatha Christie's marriage to Archibald Christie through the lens of Agatha's mysterious temporary disappearance in 1926. Many different theories have been proposed as to the exact details regarding how and why the famous author went missing, but no one account of what happened has ever been confirmed. In her novel, Benedict includes her own fictionalized idea of what may have occurred.
What we do know of Agatha and Archie's life together is that they met at a dance in 1912, when they were both in their early 20s. A romance developed quickly between them, but the First World War separated them temporarily in 1914 — Archie went to fight in France and Agatha worked as a volunteer nurse in her hometown of Torquay in England. The couple was married on Christmas Eve in 1914 while Archie was on leave. It was during this general time period that Agatha began to write crime stories; she wrote her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1916." ... continued
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Sourcebooks. Historical Fiction. 288 pages. Published Dec 29, 2021 |
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Book Clubs: When Will We Meet Again? |
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According to our recent research report, "Book Clubs in Lockdown," most groups are looking forward to coming together again in person, but some plan to maintain a virtual element to their meetings going forward. Learn more in the blog post.
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At BookBrowse, we believe that the very best books don't just entertain and engage, they also enlighten, wrapping us in their world, giving us a window into the lives of others or a mirror to reflect on ourselves. These are the books we seek out and feature on BookBrowse, both fiction and nonfiction. |
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Published every Thursday, BookBrowse Highlights is one of BookBrowse's four free newsletters. We also publish Publishing This Week every Sunday; and Book Club News and Librarian News monthly.
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