Sometimes all we need to beat the summer heat is a good lazy read. Here, we suggest 5 books that will definitely make your summer lighter and take you, someplace else.
That Woman
By Anne Sebba
This is the first full scale biography of Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee notorious for allegedly seducing a British King off his throne. 'That woman' so called by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen mother was born Bessie Wallis Warfield in 1896 in Baltimore. Neither beautiful nor brilliant, she endured an impoverished childhood which fostered in her a burning desire to rise above her circumstances.
The Orphan Master
By Jean Zimmerman
The 'Orphan Master' is one of the most entertaining historical novels to have come out in this decade. Jean Zimmerman takes the readers on a time trip to Manhattan in 1663 and brings to life a Manhattan of a different time, place and culture. The novel is set in and around the tiny, Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, now present-day southern Manhattan. Orphans from the colony are going missing; a serial killer maybe on the loose and among those looking into it are a beautiful fiercely,resilient 22-year-old Dutch female trader and a dashing English spy who becomes her love interest. Then there is the colony's corrupt Orphan master, an African giant, and an Algonquin trapper who may be possessed by a demon that turns people into cannibals. The Orphan Master is a thriller, a love story and a drama all in one.
The Other Hand
By Chris Cleeve
The novel tells the stories of Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee, and Sarah O' Rourke, a magazine editor from Surrey whose lives are brought into brutal conjunction on a beach in Nigeria. It is this encounter that changes the lives of both the characters. The story switches between narratives in the voice of Little Bee and Sarah. Little Bee examines the treatment of refugees by the asylum system, as well as issues of colonialism, globalization, and political violence. It is a touching, funny, and a brilliant political novel because you remain unaware of its politics.
The Paris Wife
By Paula McLain
A love affair between two unforgettable personalities, Ernest Hemingway and his first (of four) wives, Hadley, 'The Paris Wife' is a deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal. Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair moves to Paris. Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of jazz-age Paris. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unravelling of everything they've fought so hard for.
Seven Fires of Mademoiselle
By Esther Vilar
Set during the days of JFK's presidency, this story is written through the eyes of Carlota, the daughter of the Argentine ambassador in Washington. Mademoiselle, who is Carlota's nanny, is a beautiful woman, who attracts any man she meets, but she shows no interest in any of them until the day the family's homemade Christmas tree decorations catch fire, and Mademoiselle meets the short, bald fire chief- Nick Kowlaski, with whom she falls in love immediately. But he sdoes not reciprocate and so Mademoiselle and her 12-year old partner Carlota, embark on a mission to capture his heart. This is a beautifully written story, and those into deep romantics who don't believe in love.
