The Housekeeper and the Professor , by Yoko Ogawa, is a lovely, small Japanese novel about a brilliant math professor who was involved in a car accident. As a result he now has an 80 mintue short term memory. The story is about the relationship that develops between the professor and his caring housekeeper and her son. Everyday she and her son must re-introduce themselves to him. A special bond develops between the boy and the professor through math and baseball. SP
What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman
The story, written as a letter from father to daughter, flows gently and beautifully. This is a quiet book that touches deeply. A father, previously unknown to his daughter, reveals himself completely, honestly and desperately in the later years of his life through the story of his life. A lovely writer. KC
Love and Summer by William Trevor
A fine Irish love story set in the timeless countryside, you can rely on Trevor's unfailing skill to present the ambiguities of the human heart. For another wonderful Irish read, I recommend Claire Keegan's Walk the Blue Fields. MC
Still Alice by Lisa Genova, is a gripping novel about a who is in her early 50's and learns she has early-onset Alzheimer's. Alice a successful professor at Harvard who has led a very productive life and is suddenly faced with a diagnosis that is most dreaded. As the story unfolds, Alice discovers her disease and must deal with telling her family and her colleagues. I felt this novel was quite powerful and would recommend it for care givers who have to face living with a loved one who has this horrible illness. SP
Consequences by Penelope Lively is a story of three generations of women in England from 1935 to the present day. Lively creates characters you care about. KW
Beginner's Greek by James Collins A classic romantic novel, a la Jane Austen, beautifully written by an editor of Time Magazine, his first novel. JH
Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. For gardeners and non-gardeners alike this book introduces five plants and their origins. Along with the importance of these species to mankind, after reading you will look at plants a bit differently. BF
Backing into Forward by Jules Feiffer A memoir fill with famous faces. Feiffer traces his beginnings as a struggling cartoonist in Greenwich Village to fame in Hollywood rubbing elbows with Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson and Mike Nichols. JH
Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell
The friendship of Gail Caldwell and Caroline Knapp seemed destined to be. They were so similar and close, it is hard to know in advance that Gail loses her. Yet this is a tribute to friendship that stays with you and makes you long for a relationship like this one. A beautifully told story by a great writer. KC
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960's is told through three female voices, two black and one white. As their story unfolds, you become caught up in the many injustices that were in the South during this time. The author portrays with great detail the roles that existed for blacks and whites in Mississippi during this period. The friendship that results between these three women leaves the reader satisfied and filled with hope. SP
