GENTLE
FICTION
By this category, we mean those lovely little books that tells stories of characters wrestling with life's ordinary problems, rather than global ones. Our customers like them because they don't aim to shock you, just to lull you into a good, thoughtful read.
Watership Down by Richard Adams. Sue's favorite, it's a saga that blends fantasy with nature writing, and when it's all done you'll know far more about the life cycle of rabbits than you ever thought necessary. A great Quest of a book, with wonderful anthropomorphic characters and beautiful nature writing.
The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy. Sue likes this Irish writer because she takes a unifying theme and blends characters in and out of this central spot. Sue recommends anything by Maeve Binchy, especially The Lilac Bus and The Evening Class.
The Camerons by Robert Crichton. A nice long novel set in a Scottish mining town, with rich characterizations and a satisfying story.
The Avenue by R.F. Delderfield. There are actually two books here, combined into one volume for this issue and make a great big fat book, filled with characters as intertwined and interesting as you can expect from Delderfield. The story covers a small London suburb street with its various neighbors, from just after World War I through World War II. The author ties up all the characters' stories in the end, but still leaves you wanting more. The accounts of the London Blitz, as seen from these characters' gardens and kitchens, is horrifying.
The Vines of Yarrabee by Dorothy Eden. An old favorite, of vintners and old scores to settle, and a woman that helps to close the gap.
The Loop by Nicholas Evans. Forget The Horse Whisperer, this is THE ONE.
Thomasina by Paul Gallico. A delightfully written little book, with prose that leaves you blissfully satisfied.
Illumination Night by Alice Hoffman. Of all the Hoffman books, Sue likes this one the best. It's filled with wonderfully eccentric characters all trying to come to grips with their lives during one summer on a New England island. Here on Earth is another good story by her, with similar characters.
Duncton Wood by William Horwood. What Richard Adams did with rabbits, Horwood does with moles. An appealing read, as is the sequel: Duncton Quest. This is actually part of a trilogy, and Horwood wrote another trilogy with the same characters right after that.
A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving. One of those books where the ending makes it all worthwhile. You will find yourself wondering why one scenario keeps being repeated over and over again, but it all comes clear at the end. With a great crescendo, all the history of these characters comes to a final conclusion. A great read.
The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts. This author throws a lively bunch of down-on-their-luck characters into one stew and mixes vigorously for a terrific story with a satisfying ending. We loved her Where The Heart Is for the same reason, plus the catchy hook of having a main character secretly living in a Wal-Mart for 4 months without detection. Write more, Billie!
"...And the Ladies of the Club" by Helen Hooven Santmyer. A long drink of a book, detailing the lives of many generations of a women's club with good period detail. The author is a remarkable story herself, having written this book at a very late age.
The Ruined City by Nevil Shute. Sue put this one on the list solely because of the last page, which contains one of the most joyous, well-written endings ever. Well worth reading this book just to celebrate at the end. Another enjoyable one by this author is A Town Called Alice, a gripping account of British and Dutch internees in Burma during World War II and the main character's resettlement in Australia after the war, all from a woman's point of view. Don't miss Trustee from the Toolroom either, to see how a defeated, meek man transforms himself through an unwanted sailing adventure.
Fox's Earth by Ann Rivers Siddons. Parts of this book aren't all that gentle, but Sue had to get it in here anyway because it's such a well told story. A poor, wrong-side-of-the-tracks girl walks by the big mansion every day and vows to own it someday. How she gets there, and what she does when there, make for a super ride.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. A contemporary classic, with characters you root for, all told through the eyes of a young girl in the tenements of NY.