What to read this summer... ...according to the Faculty & Staff of Archmere Academy
Cloud Atlas b y David Mitchell This book is, to use a technical term, “bonkers”. Cloud Atlas is really a collection of six stories in six settings ranging from the late 19th century through to a post-apocalyptic future. The stories are organized like Russian nesting dolls — divided in two and containing the later stories within them — but ultimately tells a singular narrative about how invisibly connected we are to the past and future. I love when novels experiment with form and time, and Mitchell does so masterfully here. Moreover, the stories are just good, and Mitchell demonstrates his ability to adapt to any genre. My personal favorite is “The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish” which tells the story of a literary agent on the run from the Mob who gets trapped in a nursing home. Hilarity ensues.
Mr. Seltzer, Science Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie I have read this book three times now, and with each read, something new comes to the forefront. I have always been struck by Adichie’s ability to describe how one yearns for a place or a moment in time. While cooped up during quarantine, this is a sentiment we can all relate to! The pull she feels between the U.S. and Nigeria reminds me a lot of how I felt while living and working in France, and how I feel while traveling. Plus, parts of her story take place in the Philadelphia area and on Penn’s campus--so stay tuned for local references! Adichie poignantly addresses inequality, racism, mental health struggles, and above all, love, in this beautiful novel. Note: Some mature scenes throughout
Mme Thiel, World Languages & Cultures