The best fiction books of 2019 end the year on a high note
The Nickel Boys聽by Colson Whitehead
Two boys sentenced to a reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida reveal a study in contrasts: one is cynical, the other idealistic and inspired by the words of Martin Luther King Jr. As they navigate abuse and corruption, they influence each other in ways that will alter the course of their lives.
Chances Are ...聽by Richard Russo
During a weekend on Martha鈥檚 Vineyard, three men meet to renew their college friendship and puzzle over the mysterious disappearance, 40 years earlier, of a young woman with whom they were all in love. Richard Russo鈥檚 storytelling, word pictures, and understanding of character and community are rich in psychological detail.聽
Out of Darkness, Shining Light聽by Petina Gappah
Petina Gappah鈥檚 work of historical fiction delves into the story of two African servants of famed 19th-century explorer David Livingstone. After Livingstone鈥檚 death, the pair are among those who transport his body, and his notes, 1,000 miles to ensure the body鈥檚 safe return to England. The novel glows with the insightful voices of the two servants and the strength of their devotion.聽
The Island of Sea Women聽by Lisa See
Lisa See draws readers into the fascinating history of Korea鈥檚 Jeju Island and its women divers (haenyeo) who risk danger to collect shellfish while the men raise the children. Mi-ja and Young-sook are soul sisters who find joy and heartbreak in this unforgettable epic spanning 50 years, as their culturally rich island鈥檚 legacy is forever changed by world events. Readers will witness the fortitude of these women to transcend tragedy and find forgiveness.
Strangers and Cousins聽by Leah Hager Cohen
What could be more romantic than getting married in your family鈥檚 ancestral home? Lots of things in Leah Hager Cohen鈥檚 timely, timeless comedy. For one, the barn is about to collapse and the house isn鈥檛 in much better shape. For two, the parents plan to sell right after the wedding. For three, their daughter is planning less a heartfelt ceremony and more 鈥渁n ersatz comedy on the institution of marriage.鈥� Then someone steals the wedding ring.
The World That We Knew聽by Alice Hoffman
Into the recognizable form of a Holocaust novel Alice Hoffman injects magical realism in the form of a golem, conjured from sacred Hebrew words. The golem is entrusted with the safety of a young Jewish girl. Hoffman delivers a lyrical novel that underscores what makes us human and calls out how we deny humanity in others.聽
础办颈苍听by Emma Donoghue
Noah Selvaggio is a retired chemistry professor who is set in his ways. The last thing he needs is a call from social services asking him to temporarily foster his pugnacious 11-year-old grandnephew whose mother is in prison. A captivating tour of the French town of Nice follows, as they piece together a World War II-era family mystery.
The Giver of Stars聽by JoJo Moyes
This compelling novel is inspired by the Depression-era rural traveling Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. It follows five remarkable women who band together to face adversities while bringing the wonder of books and literacy to their neighbors. It鈥檚 an epic feminist adventure that candidly paints a community鈥檚 soul-searching with great humor, honesty, heartache, and love.
The Water Dancer聽by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates brings his remarkable talent to his first novel as he tells the story of Hiram Walker, a brilliant boy who seems to possess magical gifts. Born into slavery in 19th-century Virginia, Hiram survives a near drowning, an experience that emboldens him to try to gain his freedom.聽
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep聽by H.G. Parry
A lawyer is saddled with bailing out his younger brother, a professor who brings to life characters from books by famed authors such as Dickens, Wilde, Austen, and Bront毛. When a stranger with a similar gift threatens everything, wild adventures ensue in this imaginative and heartfelt novel.
The Parisian聽by Isabella Hammad
Isabella Hammad's first novel is not a page-turner. That鈥檚 not an insult. With historical sweep and sentences of startling beauty, she has written the story of a displaced dreamer, a young Palestinian whose merchant father sends him to France to study in 1914. Patient readers will find themselves rewarded with a new voice worth taking the time to listen to.
Ayesha at Last聽by Uzma Jalaluddin
Who among us doesn鈥檛 love a good update of 鈥淧ride and Prejudice鈥�? Uzma Jalaluddin delivers with a satisfying romance full of wit and humor, set among a Canadian Muslim immigrant community navigating tradition and assimilation for its young men and women.
