Hello,

This week's Editor's Choice, Alina Grabowski's Women and Children First, explores the mysterious death of a teenage girl in a coastal Massachusetts town through the voices of her community.

We also bring you a "beyond the book" article — in connection with the recent book club pick Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris — outlining Black land loss in America.

Plus, check out some of the best recent reader reviews on BookBrowse and a new Wordplay!

With best wishes,

The BookBrowse Team

After Lucy Anderson falls to her death at a high school party, no one in Nashquitten, her gloomy, rain-battered hometown on the Massachusetts coast, seems to be quite sure what happened. Did she jump? Was she pushed? Or, as someone with epilepsy, did she have a seizure in the wrong place at the wrong time? The town is no stranger to teen deaths, but Lucy's has more troubling ambiguity than the drunk driving and overdoses which have become routine. Across ten chapters narrated by ten different female voices, Women and Children First draws a sharp portrait not so much of the ambitious, mercurial teenager—but of the community that let her slip away.

With her talent on display, debut author Alina Grabowski manages to pick up one of the most shopworn tropes—the death of the promising young woman—and craft a thoughtful, funny, and at times furious portrayal of female life in the 2020s, full of its impossible demands and daily frustrations. ... continued

This issue of The BookBrowse Review contains reviews and "beyond the book" articles for 16 titles, including Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris, Exhibit by R.O. Kwon, and Henry Henry by Allen Bratton.

We also bring you our list of recommended 19th Century Historical Fiction, upcoming releases, the latest news from the book world, and much more.

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In Terah Shelton Harris's novel Long After We Are Gone, the family at the heart of the story is at risk of losing their land because it's considered "heir property" (aka "heir's property" and "heirs' property"). The author defines this as "a form of ownership in which descendants inherit an interest in the land, similar to holding stock in a company. Heir property does not constitute a clear title which means the land is vulnerable to developers, corporations, and governments to use 'legal' laws to acquire the land."

Because of the vagaries of ownership associated with heir property, it's often been used to deprive Black farmers of their inherited land — just one of many such tools that have been systematically employed to dispossess them of their property over the decades since emancipation. ... continued

Did you know you can write reviews for books on BookBrowse? While members have the option to receive free books from our First Impressions program in exchange for an honest review, all visitors can leave a reader review from any book page — if it's approved, we'll publish it!

You can also check out our Best Recent Reader Reviews to see what other people are saying about books they've read. Below are a few excerpts from recent high quality reviews.

"I honestly only have minimal memory of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I know I read it after Tom Sawyer and I was probably eight or nine years old—that was the time frame when I was borrowing a lot of classics from my local library...I am glad (like thousands and thousands of others) that I picked up James by Percival Everett. This is the book we did not know we needed. Powerful and memorable, funny and poignant...Everett has a masterful writing style and the reader is immediately drawn into the narrative. Giving voice to Jim was a brilliant choice and stirs up so many emotions. This one is a keeper, get it now! I would definitely enjoy a sequel!" (Gloria M)

"'La Moretta' takes place in 1974 and tells the story of newlyweds Bill and Lyla while they are on a two-month honeymoon on the backroads of Eastern Europe. The plot devices are brilliant, and the ending is shocking. I think this is the best of all 10 stories.

While each of the stories is edgy and in its own way idiosyncratic, each is also a study of human nature in a mundane place and time—until suddenly the mundane becomes bizarre, tragic, shocking, or outlandish. None are to be taken lightly...This is an ideal collection for someone who enjoys and deeply appreciates the short story genre." (Cathryn C)

"Victor Chin tests positive for Hansen’s disease, and they ship him to a community in Louisiana. As a Chinese boy living in America, he fits the stereotype of a spreader. Preconceived notions about immigrants from China have plagued him his whole life, and this place is no different...Above all, Victor is a young man, developing crushes and broken hearts as anyone else would. I identified with him, feeling different and worrying about what others thought. I enjoyed the stories about Victor’s father, Sam, as he struggles to improve his family's life in America. They help paint a picture of Victor's current state...The book does the little things right to develop characters you want to meet." (Anthony C)

Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse.

The answer to the last Wordplay: F T a T

Meaning: Something is said to “fit to a T” when it’s exactly perfect for a use or situation (e.g., “This room’s color scheme is ideal; it fits to a T”).

This phrase’s past is somewhat murky, and pinpointing its origin isn’t helped by the confusion many have with the spelling of “T”: Is the proper form “fit to a tee,” “fit to a tea” or “fit to a T”?

Some mistakenly feel that the “T” refers to T-shirt (“tee”), since an article of clothing’s fit is an important consideration, but the saying is definitely older than the existence of that piece of attire.

Others feel “T” should rightfully be spelled “tea,” and refers to one hosting a proper tea service. There’s no evidence the phrase ever had anything to do with the hot beverage, though. ... continued

BookBrowse Highlights is one of our four free newsletters. We also offer Publishing This Week every Sunday, and Book Club News and Librarian News monthly.

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