Nancy likes...

Beautifully realized characters and a plot that will resonate with today's headllines.  As siblings attempt to deal with a family crisis, they can't quite shake their past history and appointed family roles. If you have siblings, this will make you contemplate your relationships and ponder your own family dynamics. It's a powerful read, and would be great for a book club. Better yet, try to get your siblings to read it and discuss at the next family gathering! 

When travelling, I like to read about where I am, so historical fiction is often a companion.  In terms of atmosphere and evocation of a place, fiction has it hands down over guide books.  The next three books mentioned accompanied me to Europe recently, and were excellent travel companions although very different from each other.

The Lady & the Unicorn is a fanciful riff on the history of the fabulous tapestries in Paris at Cluny, or the Musee du Moyen Age. While very little is known about their designer or weaver, Chevalier takes what is known about the times and the family that commissioned the tapestries and fills in the blanks in an entertaining and informative read.  If you've had the good fortune to see these tapestries, you'll enjoy this novel. 

A PERFECT MID-WINTER READ. The Snow Child blends north country myth and magical realism with the story of a middle-aged homesteading couple trying to mend their marriage. Amid the harshly exquisite Alaskan wilderness they discover a surrogate that helps them recover their love and heal the wounds that drove them from home and family. Read it for the beautiful rendering of landscapes, both emotional and tangible, in another time and place. A lovely first novel by an Alaskan bookseller!

Author Benaron does an amazing job humanizing the tragedy of the Rwandan genocide. Her tale calls to mind cooking lobsters: though the world of her characters is incrementally falling apart, they don't quite believe it. Is it denial, or the inability to  accept the capacity for cruelty within mankind? This perfectly-titled novel will cause you to ponder your answers to the questions we asked of The Greatest Generation: did you know this was happening, and why couldn't you stop it?

Call me sentimental, but I challenge any dog owner (past or current) not to be touched by this lovely story of one dog's life.  You'll see traces of every dog you've ever owned as you see life from this dog's perspective.  Yes, it's told from the dog's point of view...get over it.  I read it not long after having acquired our newest pooch from the shelter and it struck many chords.  If you love dogs, you'll love it!

In lesser hands this story may have been all Pollyana and hackneyed.  But Taos author Summer Wood does a wonderful job evoking the dilemmas facing foster families while asking very real questions about what exactly constitutes a family.  Her characters are real and rife with human foibles, and her evocation of the beauty of the Pacific northwest is stunning.  I loved it!