Read All About It
By Donna Ruth Morgan
O
ur August reviews examine two historical novels—one from World War I, the other World War II; a meaty book about DNA/RNA/ biomedical ethics; and a contemporary gothic. All these books were published in 2021 and are available at Brunswick County libraries. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams features a group of male scholars compiling the Oxford Dictionary by deciding which words are worthy of inclusion. At their feet crouches young Esme, whose curiosity about discarded and overlooked words inspire her to become a voice for the disenfranchised, a rescuer of dismissed meanings. Historical fiction gives a glimpse into the churn of society on the brink of a new century and cataclysmic change: woman’s suffrage, the heartaches of the Great War, and shifting attitudes and values. Nutshell review: A novel to savor and re-read. The Code Breaker explores the mysteries of DNA and RNA uncovered by a genius cast of scientists. Dense topics of genomic research, CRISPR, and biotechnology are lightened by Walter Isaacson’s minibiographies of the prodigies who provided the breakthrough knowledge for COVID testing and vaccines. Nutshell review: Meet the winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the torrent of ethical quandaries their discoveries unleashed.
London during World War II’s Blitz was a scary place and time, perfectly captured in The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. This charming historical romance shows how a good book can provide escape from grim reality and can inspire us to rise above overwhelming challenges. The author’s thoughtful juxtapositions of love and loss, courage and cowardice, hope and horror will capture readers’ hearts. Nutshell review: Well-written, moving, great history and humanity. Set in the modern South, Rachel Hawkins’ The Wife Upstairs was touted as an update to classic thrillers Jane Eyre or Rebecca—the main similarities being intrusive rich people trying to hide nasty secrets, and disingenuous heroines. A wonderful distraction for the beach or poolside: a fast-moving drama populated by thoroughly unlikeable characters readers will love to hate. Nutshell review: Falls short of the inspiration behind them, but offers a twisty love triangle and some gothic elements.
