“The Names” by Florence Knapp was described as “The best debut novel in years” by the Sunday Times and “the most devastating book you will read this year” by The Observer. It was a Sunday Times Bestseller, and it will break your heart.
Kristin Hannah’s “The Women” is not just a personal journey but a tribute to the true unsung heroes of the Vietnam and, indeed, every war. Frankie is a character we all desperately want to befriend. We journey with her into the unknown… where we discover the true resilience of humanity.
Receiving feedback like this makes you feel like a stink bug under a magnifying glass on a very hot day. One must be honest, but one must also be kind – and remember to remove the magnifying class quickly when you’re done, lest the class finds itself one writer down the following week.
In “Rebecca” we see the darker side of Daphne du Maurier’s self perception, as well as her deep understanding of both the subtleties of English society and the mechanics of fear and desire that we can all relate to.
My first reading of “The Sun Also Rises” was in the city of Pamploma, at the Festival of San Fermín, where the novel is set. I, like the protagonist, was trying to get away from myself.