Theft by Abdulrazak Gurnah

In my literary quest to explore as many as possible realms, Theft by 2021 Nobel Prize laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah took me to the postcolonial Zanzibar following the destinies of three young people - Karim, Fauzia and Badar - as they are coming of age, while experiencing betrayal and personal changes in a society changing itself at the beginning of the 1990s.

The very detailed prose is following not only the turmoil of the inner lives of the characters, but also the changing social context, affecting the personal circumstances of the characters. For instance, Karim´s relationship with his mother, who moved with her new husband to Zanzibar. Karim is left with his other relatives, and will be hosted by her, but will also prefer being more with the other students on campus during his studies. Badar, who is accused of theft, but saved by Karim and offered a new job in a hotel, is learning to use the computer and is able to search for places all over the world via Google Street images. 

The characters are well acquainted with the power of knowledge that they are pursuing in different ways and with different aims, and clearly with different consequences: Karim will end up separating from the traditional world, Fauzia will follow his dream of becoming a teacher, Badar will use it to explore the world through his mind but moderately keen to break the rules.

The shadow of a theft - as appropriation of something that doesn´t belong, symbolically or factually, is the thin thread crossing the individual stories shared by the three main characters, who are nevertheless intertwinning. 

It is hard to resist the flow of the story and the immersion into the life of the characters. We are privy to their decisions but left on ourselves as for a judgement.

Theft was Gurnah´s first book after winning the Nobel Prize and was published the last year. 

I don´t know why did it took so long to read this author, but I am definitely inspired to continue the literary exploration of his work. 

Rating: 4.5 stars

Random Things Tours: The Inheritance by Kate Horan

How does is feel to receive a DNA kit as a Christmas present, that you are supposed to use together with other guests taking part at the celebrations? I have my own thoughts about DNA tests and their use, but one thing is clear: scientifically they confirm or reveal family connections that for some, may be really shocking.

The Inheritance by Australian author Kate Horan is built around such an occurrence, using the family ties and a potentially generous legacy as a main element of a plot built mostly around two interesting women: Isobel Ashworth, the potential heir of a rich family who is alone against everyone who either doesn´t take her seriously or openly lied to her; and Meg Hunter, a journalist aiming at uplifting her career, who is trying to investigate Ashworth family. 

The life of the two women may connect not only while Meg is tracing the corruption and the secrets hiding behind the wealth, but also through some secrets their families tried to burry. Both are two well defined strong characters I enjoyed spending time with in the virtual realm of this book.

The Inheritance has a versatile plot idea that grows in the most unexpected ways, with bold takes of legacies, including genetic ones, and how they shape our life and chances.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Rachel´s Random Resources: I Was Watching You by Chris Westlake

Faye, Zara and Heidi booked a detox weekend away in the beautiful Wales. Busy with their personal and professional lives, they want to try to slow down and enjoy their lives differently. Then, they allow a stranger in their cottage. As they returned back home, they are going on with their usual lives. Until they received some worrisome signals that someone watched them that evening. And their dark secret they wanted burried would be probably exposed.

I Was Watching You by Chris Westlake is a psychological thriller hard to put down until the story is over. It starts so matter of factly, so ´normal´ that it´s hard to imagine what it will happen next. And this is exactly what keeps the readers - me included - literally glued to this story. 

The race to understand who exactly wants to reveal their secret and what is hiding behind this attempt. It is a gripping search for the truth while exploring the fine line where guilt and shame intersect with the need of privacy and protection.

The story has so many layers and takes which adds more interest for the reader in addition to the gripping psychological challenge. 

If you are looking for a book to keep you busy at night and the most of the day, this book is a recommended read.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

The Lovers by Yumna Kassab

Amir and Jamila may be lovers, but aren´t in love. Education, money, age, social status separate them. They are in a situationship and the shards of their stories are shared in a monologue unfolding over months, into short installments that are touching upon topics beyond their dating. She used to live abroad, they are now in the same place, probably Lebanon, or maybe Jordan.

The Lovers by Australian-based author Yumna Kassab has a dual construction, with the two lovers mostly antithetically exploring their thoughts and feelings. There are some circumstances when it is relatively hard to identitfy at first who is talking, and their thoughts may be completely separated from the love story, adding humanity and context to the characters. 

The Lovers is a relatively short read. Sometimes it shares something very interesting about love and relationships, but the thought is abandoned shortly after for taking a different turn. The short format is limitative in this respect and I wished it had more literary space to explain and extend the thoughts,

A special note for the Art Nouveau-style of the cover.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Random Things Tours: A Reunion to Die for by K.J.Whittle

A school reunion who went terribly bloody wrong. Some schoolday secrets long burried. More than one vilain that may be looking for revenge.

Fast paced and clever, A Reunion to Die for by K.J.Whittle is a psychological thriller that develops as a game between drunks. Six former school colleagues meet in a pub and indulge in thinking about how the bully of their school years may die. But as in the aftermath of their reunion the bully dies following exactly the plan they were talking about. And now, they have a serious project to take care of: solve the crime.

The story advances at the pace of a puzzle, with a search against the clock. Some pieces may come along, some are completely mismatched, some are just leading us in the wrong direction. Hence, my complete surprise at the end of the story, as I did not see it coming. Which means I was fully satisfied with the solution, because how can I not love a book with an unexpected ending?

A Reunion to Die for was clearly an excellent read to start the week. Well written and eventful it is my recommendation for anyone looking for a smart whodunit where the questions are far more interesting than the questions.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

The Doorman by Chris Pavone

A story of murder, sex, race and priviledge - not necessarily in this order, The Doorman by Chris Pavone is an intricated story mostly taking place in a high-end luxury building in the posh part of New York City. 

I´ve read other book by Pavone, The Expats as it insidously catches the secrets of a group of expatriates and their illusions. His latest, The Doorman is keeping the same take on the secrets hidden by glamorous creatures, but goes a bit farther on, as all characters, including the doorman and its manager, do have dark spots that they prefer not to share. 

What most of the posh characters do hide, is the average wishes beyond their expensive lives. They may be safe from worrying about the future, but their present is encumbred by failed personal dreams and broken love stories. Overall, they are lonely, in the ways in which rich people living in posh addresses may be. 

Born and raised in New York, Chris Pavone seized the spirit of the city, with its fantastic diversity and extremes that may co-exist. In the book, you may found a gay-closeted tattoed Ukrainian, alongside an eccentric art collector and a greedy military contractor. 

The Doorman is lengthly allowing the characters to explain themselves, we are introduced into their familiar environment. It feels like we have all the time in the world, including for digressions about capitalism and BLM. A bit too much in my opinion because in this way the narrative is out of control confusing the reader: what are we having here? what is the story about? is there any thriller sub-plot we may expect? The latter actually happens, but in the very few minutes of the book, and we may need a couple of further explanations and angles to really understand what happened. The author keps the keys to all those details, anyway.

Althouugh I enjoyed some parts of the writing - especially when describing places and New York ambiance - from the point of view of the story I wasn´t thrilled. The readig advanced extremely slowly and without any pleasure in really getting engaged into its denouement. 

Rating: 3 stars

Bookouture Book Tour: The French Wife by Ann Bennett

I love to stay close to authors I´ve loved to read. Ann Bennett is one of them, and I feel more than honoured to have been offered the chance of reading and reviewing her latest, The French Wife, set in France, is built around the emotional connection between two women that never met, and will never meet in real life: Emma, recently divorced, who after facing a child loss and a painful divorce, discovers in the cupboard of a cottage she just purchased an old photo of a couple. Amelie, portrayed in the photo, survived the Nazi occupation of France, and together with her husband, Bruno, owned the farmhouse. While Bruno used to hid Resistance fighters in the cellar, Amelie is privy to hidden truths that may stay burried.

From one century to another, the two women, both having known heartbreak and deep disappointment, do connect, with Emma carefully tracing deeply hidden histories and details of a life burried in secrets, during hard times. 

Although dealing with very sensitive topics, the author, as usual, is taking the tension through an empathic and emotionally balanced writing. The idea of deep understanding beyond time and historical circumstances requires a well chiselled way of dealing with words. 

The French Wife was a very interesting read, thoughtful and immersive. Given my reading experience with Ann Bennett, I cannot wait to see where her new book will take their readers to. 

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own