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Denison avenue
Par Christina Wong. 2023
A moving story told in visual art and fiction about gentrification, aging in place, grief, and vulnerable Chinese Canadian elders…
Bringing together ink artwork and fiction, Denison Avenue by Daniel Innes (illustrations) and Christina Wong (text) follows the elderly Wong Cho Sum, who, living in Toronto's gentrifying Chinatown–Kensington Market, begins to collect bottles and cans after the sudden loss of her husband as a way to fill her days and keep grief and loneliness at bay. In her long walks around the city, Cho Sum meets new friends, confronts classism and racism, and learns how to build a life as a widow in a neighborhood that is being destroyed and rebuilt, leaving elders like her behind. A poignant meditation on loss, aging, gentrification, and the barriers that Chinese Canadian seniors experience in big cities, Denison Avenue beautifully combines visual art, fiction, and the endangered Toisan dialect to create a book that is truly unforgettableAutumn Bird and the Runaway
Par Melanie Florence, Richard Scrimger. 2022
Two kids from different worlds form an unexpected friendship.Cody’s home life is a messy, too-often terrifying story of neglect and…
abuse. Cody himself is a smart kid, a survivor with a wicked sense of humour that helps him see past his circumstances and begin to try to get himself out.Autumn is, quite literally, on the other side of the tracks from him. Her home life is loving and secure, and she is “in” with the popular girls at school, even if she has a secret life as a glasses-wearing, self-professed comic book nerd at home. And even if the pressure to fit in at school requires hours of time spent making herself look “perfect.”Returning home from a movie one evening, Autumn comes across Cody, face down in the laneway behind her house. All Cody knows is that he can’t take another beating from his father like the one he just narrowly escaped. He can’t go home, but he doesn’t have anywhere else to go either. Autumn won’t turn her back on him, even if they never really were friends at school. She agrees to let him hide out in her dad’s art studio at night.Over the next couple of days of Autumn sneaking Cody food and bandages, his story comes out. And so does hers.Told in alternating narratives, Autumn Bird and the Runaway is a breathtaking collaboration by two of Canada’s finest writers of books for young readers. Infused with themes of identity, belonging and compassion, it’s a story that reminds us that we are all more than our circumstances, and we are all more connected than we think.The Tiffin
Par Mahtab Narsimhan. 2011
The dabbawallas of Mumbai deliver box lunches — called tiffins — to whitecollar workers all over the vast city. They…
are legendary for their near-perfect service: for every six million lunches sent, only one will fail to reach its intended destination. The Tiffin is about that one time in millions when a box goes astray, changing lives forever. When a note placed in a tiffin is lost, a newborn — Kunal — is separated from his mother. Twelve years later, Kunal lives as a virtual slave under the thumb of his foster father, Seth. With danger and oppression making it impossible to stay where he is, Kunal asks his friend Vinayak, an aging dabbawalla, to help him find his birth mother. Vinayak introduces Kunal to the tiffin carriers, and a plan is hatched. Along the way, Kunal learns what it means to be part of a family.The Probability of Everything
Par Sarah Everett. 2023
“One of the best books I have read this year (maybe ever).” —Colby Sharp, Nerdy Book ClubNPR Books We Love…
2023 | Publishers Weekly Best of 2023 | Winner of the Governor General's Literary Awards for Young People's LiteratureA heart-wrenching middle grade debut about Kemi, an aspiring scientist who loves statistics and facts, as she navigates grief and loss at a moment when life as she knows it changes forever.Eleven-year-old Kemi Carter loves scientific facts, specifically probability. It's how she understands the world and her place in it. Kemi knows her odds of being born were 1 in 5.5 trillion and that the odds of her having the best family ever were even lower. Yet somehow, Kemi lucked out.But everything Kemi thought she knew changes when she sees an asteroid hover in the sky, casting a purple haze over her world. Amplus-68 has an 84.7% chance of colliding with earth in four days, and with that collision, Kemi’s life as she knows it will end.But over the course of the four days, even facts don’t feel true to Kemi anymore. The new town she moved to that was supposed to be “better for her family” isn’t very welcoming. And Amplus-68 is taking over her life, but others are still going to school and eating at their favorite diner like nothing has changed. Is Kemi the only one who feels like the world is ending?With the days numbered, Kemi decides to put together a time capsule that will capture her family’s truth: how creative her mother is, how inquisitive her little sister can be, and how much Kemi's whole world revolves around her father. But no time capsule can change the truth behind all of it, that Kemi must face the most inevitable and hardest part of life: saying goodbye."My heart hurt as I raced through the last chapters of this unique book that shines a light on family, friends, grief, and love." —Lisa Yee, author of Maizy Chen's Last ChanceWe Rip the World Apart: A Novel
Par Charlene Carr. 2024
A sweeping multi-generational story about motherhood, race and secrets in the lives of three women, perfect for readers of Brit…
Bennett’s The Vanishing Half and David Chariandy’s Brother When 24-year-old Kareela discovers she’s pregnant with a child she isn’t sure she wants, it amplifies her struggle to understand her place in the world as a woman who is half-Black and half-white, yet feels neither.Her mother, Evelyn, fled to Canada with her husband and their first-born child, Antony, during the politically charged Jamaican Exodus of the 1980s, only to realize they’d come to a place where Black men are viewed with suspicion—a constant and pernicious reality Evelyn watches her husband and son navigate daily.Years later, in the aftermath of Antony’s murder by the police, Evelyn’s mother-in-law, Violet, moves in, offering young Kareela a link to the Jamaican heritage she has never fully known. Despite Violet’s efforts to help them through their grief, the traumas they carry grow into a web of secrets that threatens the very family they all hold so dear.Back in the present, Kareela, prompted by fear and uncertainty about the new life she carries, must come to terms with the mysteries surrounding her family’s past and the need to make sense of both her identity and her future.Weaving the women’s stories across multiple timelines, We Rip the World Apart reveals the ways that simple choices, made in the heat of the moment and with the best of intentions, can have deeper repercussions than could ever have been imagined, especially when people remain silent.Rebel Skies (Rebel Skies)
Par Ann Sei Lin. 2024
Ann Sei Lin's enchanting and action-packed debut, first in a series, will sweep readers away to an aerial world of…
magic, danger and political intrigue. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Lim, Kalynn Bayron and the films of Studio Ghibli.Kurara has never known any other life than being a servant onboard the Midori, a flying ship serving the military elite of the Mikoshiman Empire, a vast realm of floating cities. Kurara also has a secret — she can make folded paper figures come to life with a flick of her finger. But when the Midori is attacked and Kurara's secret turns out to be a power treasured across the empire, a gut-wrenching escape leads her to the gruff Himura, who takes her under his wing. Under Himura's tutelage, and with the grudging support and friendship of his crew, Kurara learns to hunt shikigami — wild paper spirits sought after by the Princess of Mikoshima.But what does the princess really want with the shikigami? Are they merely enchanted figures without will or thought, or are they beings with souls and minds of their own? As fractures begin to appear both across the empire and within Kurara's understanding of herself, Kurara will have to decide who she can trust. Her fate, and the fate of her friends — and even the world — may rest on her choice. And time is running out.Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party (Marya Khan)
Par Saadia Faruqi. 2022
Perfect for fans of Ivy & Bean and Dory Fantasmagory, Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party is the start…
of a charming chapter book series from acclaimed author Saadia Faruqi about a Pakistani American third-grader whose plans may backfire but whose persistence and heart are inspiring. Marya’s eighth birthday is coming up in a week, and all she wants is an over-the-top birthday party just like the ones Alexa, her rich neighbor, always throws. When Alexa parades into school with fancy invitations, Marya can’t help herself—she claims that she’s having the most epic henna party ever. Now she has to convince her family to make it happen. Enter Operation Help the Khans! Marya’s siblings clearly need help with their projects. Maybe she could cook dinner for her parents, or clean her grandmother’s room? Except everything Marya does seems to end in disaster. Will Marya and her family be able pull it together and throw the best party ever?! Featuring black-and-white illustrations by Ani Bushry and a selection of henna designs to trace and color.Come stay awhile at Brambleberry House, a place infused with acceptance, healing and heart—as only RaeAnne Thayne can imagine it. His…
Second-Chance Family Julia Blair spent many happy summers at Cannon Beach and fell hard for sweet local boy Will Garrett. Now the for-rent sign at Brambleberry House seems like a wonderful omen for widowed Julia and her young children. She craves the warmth she once felt in Brambleberry House—and in Will's arms. But before he can embrace his first love, he'll have to lay down the burden of the past and open his heart again. A Soldier's Secret Struggling to rebuild her business and her life, Anna Galvez knows she's fortunate to have inherited Brambleberry House as her rock-solid base. When she finds a handsome new tenant in injured army pilot Harry Maxwell, Anna thinks her luck—in love, at least—might be changing. Until the lieutenant's story begins to unravel…The Island: Bougainvillea Shelter Island Capsized (The bone Island Trilogy Ser. #4)
Par Heather Graham. 2006
New York Times bestselling Heather Graham turns a sunny getaway into a gripping thriller when an unlikely vacationer finds something…
she shouldn&’t have!On a weekend vacation Beth Anderson is unnerved when a stroll on the beach reveals what appears to be a skull. As a stranger approaches, Beth panics and covers her morbid find. But when she later returns to the beach, the skull is gone.Determined to locate solid evidence to bring to the police, Beth digs deeper into the mystery of the skull—and everywhere she goes, Keith Henson, the stranger from the beach, seems to appear. He claims to be keeping an eye on her safety, but Beth senses other motives. Then a body washes ashore, and Beth begins to think she needs more help than she bargained for. Because investigating is a dangerous game, and someone wants to stop Beth from playing.Previously published.A Gift to Last: An Anthology
Par Debbie Macomber. 2023
Two Christmas favorites from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber!Can This Be Christmas?On December 24, a crowded train…
is taking holiday travelers home for Christmas. But because of a snowstorm, this group of strangers ends up spending Christmas Eve together, stranded in a small New Hampshire station. Despite the cold and discomfort, they create an impromptu celebration that reminds them all what Christmas really means. Shirley, Goodness and MercyGreg Bennett hates Christmas. Divorced, virtually friendless and about to lose his business, he has no time for what he considers sentimental nonsense. It takes three angels to show him the truth. Shirley, Goodness and Mercy shall follow him…until he learns what Christmas is all about! Previously published.A Woman of Substance: The Prequel To A Woman Of Substance (Emma Harte Series #1)
Par Barbara Taylor Bradford. 2014
One of the top-ten bestselling novels ever written. &“An extravagant, absorbing novel of love, courage, ambition, war, death and passion.&”…
—The New York Times Barbara Taylor Bradford&’s The Emma Harte Saga begins with this record-shattering New York Times bestseller that traces Emma Harte&’s legacy through multiple generations of indomitable women. From the servants&’ quarters of a manor house on the brooding Yorkshire moors to the helm of a profitable international business, Emma Harte&’s life is a sweeping saga of unbreakable spirit and resolve. Rising from abject poverty to glittering wealth at the upper echelons of society, there is only one man the indomitable Emma cannot have—and only one she yearns for. The novel was also the subject of a popular 1984 miniseries starring Jenny Seagrove and Deborah Kerr. &“A long, satisfying novel of money, power, passion and revenge set against the sweep of 20th century history.&” —Los Angeles Times &“A wonderfully entertaining novel.&” —The Denver Post &“A mighty saga. Little has been so riveting since Gone with the Wind.&” —Manchester Evening News &“Tailor-made for fans of McCullough&’s Thornbirds.&” —Publishers Weekly &“The storyteller of substance.&” —The Times (London)Plot Twist: A Novel (The Hollywood Series #2)
Par Erin La Rosa. 2023
&“I give it five stars—and five chili pepper emojis.&” —Kate Spencer, author of In a New York MinuteShe&’s written off more than…
she can chew…Romance author Sophie Lyon&’s ironic secret just went viral: she&’s never been in love—and it&’s ruining her reputation. With a manuscript deadline looming, Sophie makes an ambitious plan to overcome her writer&’s block: reunite with her exes (including her last girlfriend Carla, the one person she could have loved) to learn why she&’s never fallen in love, and document it all for her millions of new online followers. Luckily, Sophie&’s reclusive landlord, Dash Montrose—a former teen heartthrob—has social media all figured out and is willing to help. What he doesn&’t mention is that he&’s an anonymous online crafter, a hobby that helps him maintain his sobriety. No one knows about his complicated relationship with alcohol, and with a family that&’s Hollywood royalty, Dash has to steer clear of scandal. As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover a heat between them that rivals Dash&’s pottery kiln. But Sophie needs to figure out who she is outside her relationships, and Dash isn&’t sure he&’s stable enough for the commitment she deserves. So Sophie suggests what any good romance author would: a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Surely a strictly casual relationship won&’t cause any trouble… &“Spicy. Sexy. Swoony. Rachel Lynn Solomon and Christina Lauren fans will love this story!&” —Suzanne Park, author of So We Meet Again and The Do-OverTwo old high school best friends-turned-enemies find themselves in a rivalry for a homeowner's association presidency in this swoony and…
steamy small-town, enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert and Lyssa Kay Adams.'A hilariously fun rollercoaster of laughs and passion! Collins and Nathaniel have explosive chemistry and take suburban warfare to outrageously fun heights! Next-Door Nemesis is hate to love at its finest' SARAH ADAMS'Smart and sexy, Martin's Next Door Nemesis is a fun romantic romp about second chances, embracing the unexpected, and the beautiful things that can come from failure. A glorious read!' ASHLEY HERRING BLAKE'I've never had so much fun with a homeowner's association. Collins and Nate set those white picket fences on fire with their electric chemistry. Smoking hot and delightfully sharp, this book is one to add to your shelves' B.K. BORISON'Alexa Martin is a powerhouse!' ROSIE DANAN'Martin shines in this enchanting tale . . . the result is utterly entertaining' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY_________________________After years of hustling, Collins Carter has finally made it...back to her parents' house. Between tending to the compost with her newly retired dad and running into her high school nemesis at the only decent coffee shop in town, Collins realizes this subdivision from hell she swore she'd never return to is her rock bottom.Then the homeowner's association complaint arrived.Nathaniel Adams always dreamed of a nice, quiet life in his suburban hometown. Or at least that's what he thought until Collins moved back and sent his quaint, organized life into a tailspin. He thought Collins was infuriating ten years ago, but when she announces she's running against him for HOA president, all bets are off.From secret board meetings to vicious smear campaigns whispered over backyard fences, Collins and Nate sink to levels their sleepy suburb has never seen before. But as hate turns into lust, these two enemies are forced to reckon with the feelings they've ignored for years. If only there were bylaws for real life._________________________⭐ Readers love Alexa Martin! ⭐'My queen, Alexa Martin, knows exactly how to write perfect banter and this book will not disappoint . . . A romance that will tug at all your heartstrings''My favorite rom com I've read this year!''I ate this book up! It was just what I needed right now''Ooh this was a yummy book . . . such a happily-ever-after book and I'm here for it!''I honestly loved this amazing book! The characters, the story, the love, the friendships, every single thing . . . just simply a wonderful book!''A swoon-worthy new release . . . featuring some of your favorites in romance tropes, Friends to Lovers, One Bed, Forced Proximity, Better than Fiction will not disappoint!'Le dedico mi silencio
Par Mario Vargas Llosa. 2023
LA NUEVA NOVELA DEL PREMIO NOBEL DE LITERATURA MARIO VARGAS LLOSA La historia de un hombre que soñó un país…
unido por la música y enloqueció queriendo escribir un libro perfecto que lo contara Toño Azpilcueta pasa sus días entre su trabajo en un colegio, su familia y su gran pasión, la música criolla, sobre la que lleva investigando desde su juventud. Un día, una llamada le cambia la vida. Una invitación para ir a escuchar a un guitarrista desconocido, Lalo Molfino, personaje del que nadie sabe demasiado pero de gran talento, parece confirmar todas sus intuiciones: el amor profundo que siente por los valses, marineras, polkas y huainos peruanos tiene una razón más allá del placer de escucharlos (o bailarlos). Tal vez lo que ocurra es que la música criolla sea, en realidad, no sólo una seña de identidad de todo un país y expresión de esa actitud tan peruana de la huachafería («la mayor contribución de Perú a la cultural universal», según Toño Azpilcueta), sino algo mucho más importante: un elemento capaz de provocar una revolución social, de derribar prejuicios y barreras raciales para unir al país entero en un abrazo fraterno y mestizo. En un país fracturado y asolado por la violencia de Sendero Luminoso, la música podría ser aquello que recuerde a todos los que conforman la sociedad que, por encima de cualquier otra cosa, son hermanos y compatriotas. Y en esto, es posible que el virtuosismo de la guitarra de Lalo Molfino tenga mucho que ver. Toño Azpilcueta decide investigar más sobre Molfino, viajar a su lugar de origen, conocer a este personaje esquivo, saber de su historia, de su familia y amores, de cómo llegó a convertirse en un guitarrista tan excelso. Y se propone también escribir un libro donde contar la historia de la música criolla y desarrollar esa idea que ha inoculado en su mente el descubrimiento de este músico extraordinario. La ficción y el ensayo se entremezclan así, de forma magistral, en esta novela en la que el premio nobel peruano vuelve sobre un tema que le obsesiona desde hace años: las utopías. Eso es lo que persigue Toño Azpilcueta en última instancia: la utopía de generar, a través del arte, una idea de país. La crítica ha dicho:«La escritura de Mario Vargas Llosa ha dado forma a nuestra imagen de Sudamérica y tiene su propio capítulo en la historia de la literatura contemporánea. En sus primeros años, fue un renovador de la novela, hoy, un poeta épico».Per Wastberg, presidente del Comité Nobel «Bienvenido sea [...] el gran recreador de la novela realista, queleemos con el mismo entusiasmo con el que otros leen los excesos imaginativos -bienvenidos también ellos- del realismo mágico».J. A. Masoliver Ródenas, La Vanguardia «Sus libros contienen la más compleja, apasionada y persuasiva visión de la novela y del oficio de novelista de la que tengo noticia; también contienen el mejor estímulo que un novelista puede encontrar para escribir, un estímulo solo inferior al que contienen las propias novelas de Vargas Llosa».Javier Cercas, El País «Un sentido del ritmo narrativo intacto, una intachable rigurosidad en los datos y referencias que maneja y que provienen de una investigación abrumadora, la destreza de unos diálogos sin alambiques y la pretensión de escribir un libro que señala con exactitud su doble condición genérica. […] Su escritura disidente hace pedazos el mundo como había leído que lo hacían los héroes en las novelas de caballerías y vuelve por sus fueros, arremete y da cuenta de una insurrección atemporal contra el hombre y contra el mundo».Ricardo Baixeras, El PeriódicoThe New Naturals
Par Gabriel Bump. 2023
From the Ernest J. Gaines Award-winning author of Everywhere You Don't Belong, a touching, timely novel—called a "tour de force"…
by Kaitlyn Greenidge (Libertie) and "wry and astonishing" by Publishers Weekly—about an attempt to found an underground utopia and the interwoven stories of those drawn to it. *Included in Fall Preview & Most-Anticipated Lists: New York Times, Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Vulture.com, Esquire.com, ELLE.com, The Millions, and Lit Hub* An abandoned restaurant on a hill off the highway in Western Massachusetts doesn't look like much. But to Rio, a young Black woman bereft after the loss of her newborn child, this hill becomes more than a safe haven—it becomes a place to start over. She convinces her husband to help her construct a society underground, somewhere safe, somewhere everyone can feel loved, wanted, and accepted, where the children learn actual history, where everyone has an equal shot. She locates a Benefactor and soon their utopia begins to take shape. Two unhoused men hear about it and immediately begin their journey by bus from Chicago to get there. A young and disillusioned journalist stumbles upon it and wants in. And a former soccer player, having lost his footing in society, is persuaded to check it out too. But no matter how much these people all yearn for meaning and a sanctuary from the existential dread of life above the surface, what happens if this new society can't actually work? What then? From one of the most exciting new literary voices out there, The New Naturals is fresh and deeply perceptive, capturing the absurdity of life in the 21st century, for readers of Paul Beatty&’s The Sellout and Jennifer Egan&’s The Candy House. In this remarkable feat of imagination, Bump shows us that, ultimately, it is our love for and connection to each other that will save us.The Homewood Trilogy
Par John Edgar Wideman. 2023
From &“master of language&” (The New York Times) John Edgar Wideman, a reissue of the revered trilogy that launched his…
career—two novels and story collection all set in Wideman&’s own hometown.Damballah, Hiding Place, and Sent for You Yesterday provide a stunning introduction to the uncompromising work of John Edgar Wideman, whose literary achievements have inspired The New York Times to name him &“one of America&’s premier writers of fiction.&” Damballah&’s narratives examine the vexed history of Homewood, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania neighborhood whose origins are rooted in a time when slavery was still legal in the United States of America. The novels Hiding Place and Sent for You Yesterday personalize and interrogate that history&’s presence in the contemporary lives of Homewood people and all Americans. Deeply concerned that designations such as &“economically oppressed&” or &“Black&” continue to dismiss and marginalize rather than embrace communities like the one in which he was raised, John Edgar Wideman—employing words on the page as his weapon—has dedicated himself to recording the weight, beauty, complexity, and justice that he believes Homewood&’s voices, stories, and lives have earned and deserve. In 1983, The Homewood Trilogy signaled the arrival of a major voice in American literature. Forty years later, this edition of the Trilogy celebrates Wideman&’s ongoing contribution by offering these masterworks to a new generation of readers.The Deal (Off-Campus)
Par Elle Kennedy. 2021
New York Times bestseller Elle Kennedy brings you the first in the sexy Off-Campus series that everyone is talking about.She's…
about to make a deal with the college bad boy . . .Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she's carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush's attention, she'll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice . . . even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date. . . and it's going to be oh so goodAll Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he's worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he's all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn't going to cut it.Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.Praise for Elle Kennedy: 'Delicious, complicated and drama-filled . . . I read it in one sitting, and you will, too' L. J. Shen, USA Today bestselling author 'A deliciously sexy story with a wallop of emotions that sneaks up on you' Vi Keeland, No.1 New York Times bestselling author 'Elle Kennedy delivers another sexy and addictive read, and my latest personal favourite from her!' Tijan, New York Times bestselling authorThe Mistake (Off-Campus #2)
Par Elle Kennedy. 2021
Get ready for another binge-worthy romance from international bestselling author and TikTok sensation Elle Kennedy.He's a player in more ways…
than one . . . College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he'll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he's worth a second chance. Now he's going to need to up his game . . . After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She's not a charity case, and she's not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He'll have to work for it. This time around, she'll be the one in the driver's seat . . . and she plans on driving him wild.Praise for Elle Kennedy: 'Delicious, complicated and drama-filled . . . I read it in one sitting, and you will, too' L. J. Shen, USA Today bestselling author 'A deliciously sexy story with a wallop of emotions that sneaks up on you' Vi Keeland, No.1 New York Times bestselling author 'Elle Kennedy delivers another sexy and addictive read, and my latest personal favourite from her!' Tijan, New York Times bestselling authorBuck Me
Par Andrew Grey. 2023
Emmett McElroy is the cowboy horses hate. When his heir apparent brother dies and his father has a heart attack,…
he does his duty and steps up as head of the family ranch, but he wishes things were different and his life choices were his own. Just when he begins to get his legs under him, he arrives home to find his high school crush has been hired as ranch foreman. Ex-rodeo cowboy Nathaniel Zachary desperately needs work. When Mrs. McElroy offers him a job while her husband recovers, he jumps at it. The only issue is Emmett… because Nathaniel has never been able to get his best friend&’s brother out of his mind. Tensions only increase when, after drowning his sorrows, Emmett foolishly agrees to enter a bucking bronc contest at the local rodeo. The attraction that grows as Nathaniel helps prepare Emmett for the contest is something neither of them expected, but as Emmett's father's health improves, the happiness they've built may break faster than a cowboy thrown from the meanest bronc.Happy: A Novel
Par Celina Baljeet Basra. 2023
"Leaping, chattering, dancing atop this conundrum comes the hero of Celina Baljeet Basra&’s debut novel, Happy Singh Soni, his head…
bursting with ideas, his heart set on gargantuan dreams."—New York Times★Publishers Weekly ★Bookpage ★BooklistThe story of a starry-eyed cinephile who leaves his rural village in Punjab to pursue his dreams—a formally daring debut novel set against the global migration crisis.In a rural village of Punjab, India, a moony young man crouches over his phone in a rapeseed field near his family&’s cabbage farm. His name is Happy Singh Soni, and he&’s watching YouTube clips of his favorite film, Bande à Part by Jean-Luc Godard. In fact, Happy is often compared to a young Sami Frey by the imaginary journalists that keep him company while he uses the outhouse. Pooing, as he says, &“en plein air.&” When he&’s not sleeping among the cabbages and eating his mother&’s sugary rotis, Happy dreams of becoming an actor, one who plays the melancholy roles—sad, pretty boys, rare in Indian cinema. There are macho leads and funny boys en masse, but if you&’re looking for depth and vulnerability, you must make your own heroes.Then comes Wonderland, an eccentric facsimile of Disneyland that steadily buys up the local farms, rebranding the community&’s traditional way of life. Happy works a dead-end job at the amusement park, biding his time and saving money for a clandestine journey to Europe, where he&’ll finally land a breakout role. Little does he know that his immigration is being coordinated by a transnational crime syndicate. After a nightmarish passage to Italy, Happy still manages to find relief in food and fantasy, even as he is forced into ever-worsening work conditions over a debt he allegedly accrued in transit. But his daydreams grow increasingly at odds with his bleak reality, one shared by so many migrant workers disenfranchised by the systems that depend on their labor.At turns funny and poetic, sunny and tragic, Happy is a daring feat of postmodern literature, a polyphonic novel about the urgent, lovely coping mechanisms created by generations of diasporic people. Set against the enmeshed crises of global migration and the politics of labor within the food industry, Celina Baljeet Basra&’s luminous debut argues for the things that are essential to human survival: food, water, a place to lay one&’s head, but also pleasure, romance, art, and the inalienable right to a vivid inner life.