FICTION
Villa Coco, by Andrew Sean Greer
An aspiring archivist determined to begin a “serious” life after an undistinguished undergraduate career takes up residence in the Italian countryside. He becomes the all-purpose assistant to the baronessa, known to her friends as Coco, a defiantly youthful and naturally flamboyant woman of 92. Amid a chaotic and colorful milieu of gin-swilling princesses, incomprehensible handymen, roaming boar hunters, nuns and other local wildlife, our young man does his best to catalog the villa’s extensive collection of art and antiques — although he notices that things seem to go missing from right under his nose. Despite himself, he tumbles into an affair with a married man, complicating his future plans considerably. And when the baronessa loses someone close to her, he becomes an unwitting accomplice in the acceleration of Coco’s great and final plan: to locate the love of her life and be reunited before it’s too late.
A Year of Marvellous Ways, by Sarah Winman
Marvellous Ways has lived alone alongside a winding creek near the rugged Cornwall coast for nearly all her life and has recently taken to spending her days sitting on the steps of her caravan with a telescope. She is waiting for something, but she’s not sure what. She will know it when she sees it, and that is good enough for her. Francis Drake, a young soldier adrift after the death of a fellow comrade, is grateful for the mission that guides his days. He has agreed to fulfil his friend’s last wish: to hand-deliver a letter to his father in Cornwall. But Francis’ journey doesn’t go as planned. After a brief, sweet and serendipitous reunion with a woman from his past, Francis washes up in Marvellous’ creek, broken both in body and spirit. Marvellous will come to his aid, and an unlikely friendship will grow between these two solitary souls. Marvellous has lived a long life, with many loves and countless stories to tell, and Francis needs a reason to keep going — even just the hope that life still has more to offer.
Tata, by Valérie Perrin, translated by Hildegarde Serle
When Agnes hears from the local police that her Aunt Colette has died, she can’t believe her ears. Her father’s sister Colette, her Tata, died three years ago and has been resting in peace in the cemetery of Gueugnon. Agnes is called to identify the body and there’s no doubt, it’s Aunt Colette. Who, then, rests under the stone engraved with Colette’s name? And why did she fake her own death? So begins an investigation back in time, as Agnes pieces together the multitude of stories that lie behind her aunt’s second death.
NONFICTION
Every Moment Was You: Notes on Loving and Parting, by Ha Tae-wan, translated by Shanna Tan
Every Moment Was You is a tender collection of short essays and poems on the universal experiences of love, loss and self-discovery. At once intimate and universal, it’s a companion for anyone learning to love, grieve and begin again. Ha Tae-wan writes with quiet insight and gentle honesty, reminding us that even pain can be proof of connection, and that every experience — joyful or sorrowful — helps shape who we become. These poetic reflections offer warmth and wisdom for anyone looking to heal, forgive and navigate the complexities of the heart. EB
Compiled by Kimberly Daniels Taws.