The leaves are beautiful at this time of year, and while Pennsylvania draws plenty of leaf-peepers, we hear that New England can top even the Mid-Atlantic for October foliage. If you can’t take a real northerly road trip this month, you can at least go in your mind with our October book selections.
Another You by Ann Beattie: “Using a deliberately understated narrative voice, [Beattie] presents the confused world of college professor Marshall Lockheed and his wife, Sonja. As Marshall ponders whether to tell Sonja about his complicated infatuation with a student, Sonja ponders the pros and cons of revealing her brief affair with her boss. Meanwhile, repercussions from their rather unexceptional indiscretions are about to plunge both Lockheeds into some very unusual territory. In the background are Marshall's dying stepmother, a woman with secrets of her own, and a collection of mysterious letters from the past with significant links to the present.” (Library Journal review)
Early Autumn: A Story of a Lady by Louis Bromfield: “Bromfield takes a close look at the Pentlands- a fictional rich family in New England- exposing the hypocrisy and ignorance behind their luxurious facade…. A fascinating study on the struggle of one woman to escape the stifling influence of her husband and in-laws.” (Publisher’s summary)
Before and After by Rosellen Brown: “Before and After centers on Carolyn and Ben Reiser and their two children, Judith and Jacob, who live comfortably in a small New England town. When the chief of police comes looking for seventeen-year-old Jacob to question him about the bludgeoning to death of his girlfriend, the Reisers' lives are changed forever.” (Publisher’s summary)
Seasoned Timber by Dorothy Canfield: “A principal of [a] small town school is involved in a love affair and a township election.” (Publisher’s summary)
The Tommyknockers by Stephen King: “It begins with a writer named Roberta Anderson who unearths the unbelievably intact remains of a buried ship--a ship that still vibrates faintly, still hums with some sort of life. And as the ship rises more and more out of the earth, the inhabitants of Haven start to change.” (Publisher’s summary)
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb: “For most of his life Dominick Birdsey has been living in the shadow of his schizophrenic identical twin, Thomas, but when Thomas commits a violent act that affects both their lives, Dominick decides to leave his home and search for his true identity.” (Publisher’s summary)
Blue Angel by Francine Prose: "It has been years since Swenson, a professor of creative writing at a small New England college, has published a novel of his own. It's been even longer since a student of his has shown a glimmer of talent. And academia, with its increasingly stifling politically correct environment, isn't what it used to be. Enter Angela Argo, a pierced, tattooed student with a rare gift for writing. Fearless and ambitious, Angela seems like the answer to Swenson's prayers. Better yet, she wants his help. What could be more perfect? However, as experience shows, the road to hell is paved with good intentions" (Publisher’s summary)
Blue Moon by Luanne Rice: “The Keating sisters, owners of a generations-old New England restaurant, are finding it hard to keep the family together, until Cass' husband is lost at sea and the family must weather the tragedy.” (Publisher’s summary)
The Vanished Child by Sarah Smith: “New England, 1887. The millionaire William Knight is brutally murdered and the only witness is his grandchild, Richard, who himself disappears, and is presumed dead. Eighteen years later, Richard is "recognized" in Switzerland in the person of Alexander von Reisden, and William Knight's only son, Gilbert, is convinced that this man is the long lost child. Reisden, himself, has no memory of any childhood, and his own growing obsession with finding the real Richard is leading him closer to a shattering truth. And to a killer, still at large....” (Publisher’s summary)
Old School: A Novel by Tobias Wolff: “Determined to fit in at his New England prep school, the narrator has learned to mimic the bearing and manners of his adoptive tribe while concealing as much as possible about himself. His final year, however, unravels everything he's achieved, and steers his destiny in directions no one could have predicted.” (Publisher’s summary)
The Last Waltz by Nancy Zaroulis: “Set in New England at the turn of the century, this is the story of two women's turbulent lives. Marian marries to gain social position, but loves another man she cannot have. Her friend, Isabel, jilted by her fiance, never stops yearning for him.” (Publisher’s summary)
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