As the snow starts to melt and we anticipate warmer weather, we have some hot new books for you, straight off the presses! At She Writes Press, the fiction titles this month skew more historical and/or sociological, the memoirs read like fiction, and we even have a couple non-fiction titles about issues that are extremely relevant in today’s society. Happy reading!
If you loved Rachel Getting Married, read Appearances by Sondra Helene
Samantha is caught in the middle between two people she loves. Her husband, Richard, and her sister, Elizabeth, can’t stand to be in the same room as each other. This distresses not only Samantha, but the entire family. When Elizabeth is diagnosed with cancer, the conflict becomes a crisis. This story of love, loss, forgiveness and grief will resonate with anyone who has experienced tension in a familial relationship.
If you loved One For the Money by Janet Evanovich, read A Veil Removed by Michelle Cox
Henrietta and Clive are back in the fourth installment of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series. Their honeymoon abruptly ended by the death of Clive’s father, they return to the scene to discover that the death was no accident. The case becomes deadlier as they get closer to the truth. Meanwhile, Henrietta’s sister finds herself swept up in a new romance with a man with secrets and a dark past.
If you loved My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent, read Buried Saints: A Memoir by Brin Miller
When Brin Miller discovers that her teenage stepson has been sexually abusing her two daughters, her world crumbles. However, eventually, they begin to heal. They learn resilience, forgiveness, strength and courage. This haunting yet hopeful story is a look into a family destroyed by deceit, and their astonishing choice to flourish in the face of tragedy.
If you’re excited for Child Free By Choice, read Do You Have Kids? Life When the Answer Is No by Kate Kaufmann
Today, one in five American women will never have a child. In this book, these women talk about the ways their lives deviate from societal norms. It explores their adulthood – what it means to them to not have kids and how it has shaped their identities. This incredibly well-researched book is meant to encourage understanding and validation.
If you loved What Women Want, read Gillyflower by Diane Wald
Nora Forrest worships Irish actor Hugh Sheenan. When her sister tells her that he’s in a play, she jumps at the opportunity to see him live. During the show, they lock eyes – and he is completely thrown off. What follows is a story of intersections and connections told through the eyes of four people.
If you followed the #MeToo movement, read I’m Saying No!: Standing Up Against Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Pressure by Beverly Engel
Despite movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp, many women are still afraid to report sexual transgressions. This book is for those women. Renowned psychotherapist and activist Beverly Engel crafts an empowering program to negate the internalized belief that women should remain silent. It offers women support to stand up to sexual assault, harassment and pressure.
If you loved Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser, read Lost Without the River: A Memoir by Barbara Hoffbeck Scoblic
Barbara never felt like she quite fit in with her large Catholic family in their small farming community. As the youngest of seven, she defied expectations at every turn. While this touching memoir does explore the events that shaped who she will become and the dynamics of the family she grew up in, it’s her hometown of Big Stone City that takes center stage, pulling her back in.
If you loved The Key is Love by Marie Osmond, read Never Sit If You Can Dance: Lessons from My Mother by Jo Giese
Jo grew up wanting to be nothing like her mother, Babe. And on the surface, it may seem like they are nothing alike – but the lessons Babe taught her have stuck with her, and her happiness is largely derived from these lessons. This charming tale will ring true with mothers and daughters of all ages – and offer lessons in old-fashioned civility.
If you loved The Liars’ Club by Mary Karr, read Saturday’s Child: A Daughter’s Memoir by Deborah Burns
Deborah Burns has always felt in the shadows of her beautiful and unconventional mother, Dorothy. Dorothy turned the responsibilities of raising Deborah over to her aunts, but Deborah wanted nothing more than her mother’s love. As she grows up, she finally emerges from under her mother’s wing and tries to uncover the truth about their relationship.
If you loved Halsey Street by Naima Coster, read The Alchemy of Noise by Lorraine Devon Wilke
When Sidonie, a white venue manager, and Chris, a black sound engineer fall in love, for a while, they are truly happy. Despite transcending the inevitable culture clashes and resistance to their relationship, their world crumbles around them when Chris is beaten and arrested in suspicion of a crime. Sidonie believes he’s innocent – but as events unfold, doubts bubble up.
If you loved The Yellow Envelope by Kim Dinan, read The Buddha Sat Right There: A Family Odyssey Through India and Nepal by Dena Moes
Follow the Moes family on their eight-month journey through India and Nepal. Dena and Adam pack up their lives, pull their two daughters out of school, and set off to travel and experience the world. Their time abroad is filled with unique experiences – some amusing, some moving and some heart-wrenching – that bring the family together, pull them apart and help them all to grow.
If you loved Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple, read The Elegant Out by Elizabeth Bartasius
As her IUD expires, Elizabeth is faced with a choice: should she get another one? If she does, by the time it expires, she will be too old to have children. Her biological clock is ticking and Elizabeth seems to have caught baby fever – but her love, Gabe, doesn’t want to bring a child into this world. Meanwhile, Elizabeth dives deep into her other dream – becoming a writer.
If you loved In One Person by John Irving, read The Greek Persuasion by Kimberly K. Robeson
Spurred by her sudden breakup with a man she knew wasn’t The One, Thair decides to spend a summer in Greece writing about her grandmother’s experiences in 1940s Egypt. Over the next five years, she then writes her mother’s story, and eventually her own – but first, she must come to terms with her sexuality and find her own Other Half.
If you loved I Am Elizabeth Smart, read The Parrot’s Perch: A Memoir by Karen Keilt
In 1976, Karen Keilt and her new husband were kidnapped on their honeymoon. They were tortured, raped and beaten for 45 days. Thirty-seven years later, she was asked to testify about it at the National Truth Commission at the UN in New York. It is only then that she learns the reason for their capture; her father was CIA.
If you loved Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle, read Too Much of Not Enough: A Memoir by Jane Pollak
Finding love can be hard – especially if you’ve never experienced it before. Jane Pollak was raised by an emotionally distant mother. She didn’t grow up experiencing the unconditional love a child should receive from a parent. It’s no wonder that she married someone she was unable to connect with. After her husband drops the bomb that he’s seeing someone else, Jane reassess her life to find self-empowerment and forge her own path.
If you loved Glass Castle by Jeannette Wahl, read Walking Between Worlds: A Spiritual Odyssey by Athena Demetrios
This memoir follows Athena Demetrios, a woman who repressed her traumatic childhood memories, as she embarks on a spiritual journey through hypnotic regression. It helps her open doors to other dimensions. She has past-life visions, communicates with the dead and ultimately finds herself.
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