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Backman's My Friends & Unfriendly Boleyns
A giveaway of Fredrik Backman's My Friends, Louise Erdrich's latest, and more ...
BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week, we discuss two novels that will transport you to vividly rendered settings. Michelle Collins Anderson’s The Moonshine Women follows three sisters in the Prohibition-era Ozarks, while Dinah Jefferies’ The Greek House reveals the beautiful sights and sounds of Corfu during roughly the same time.
Our Editor’s Choice pick is none other than the latest from Louise Erdrich: her enchanting second short story collection Python’s Kiss.
We also share a “beyond the book” article on the difficult relationship between the Boleyn sisters, Mary and Anne, relating to Rebecca Lehmann’s debut The Beheading Game.
Plus, don’t miss out on our giveaway of Fredrik Backman’s My Friends, and enjoy a new Wordplay!
Thanks for reading,
The BookBrowse Team
Book Club Discussions
Discussions are open to all! If you’d like to participate, you can do so by creating an account here. Please note that discussions can contain spoilers.
The Moonshine Women by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the Jacket In the Prohibition era Missouri Ozarks, three sisters take over their father's moonshine business in an evocative story of reinvention, sisterhood, and the alchemy of love for readers of Jeannette Walls, Fannie Flagg, Sue Monk Kidd, and Donna Everhart. From the Discussion “I wasn’t prepared to get completely invested and love it so much, but that indeed is what happened. The writing was beautiful with vivid imagery, and the storytelling evoked so many emotions.” —Emily_Bahhar |  |
“I’ve spent many days roaming the bathhouses and hotels in Hot Springs and felt right at home with Shine and Rebecca down there. It is a fascinating place to visit…I have recommended this book to my club which is composed of men and women ‘of a certain age’ who will feel as connected as I did. There’s something for everyone in this one!” —Susan_S
See what people are saying in response to this question: There are many motherless daughters in The Moonshine Women. How do the women mother each other? How do sisterhood and female friendship become even more important when our mother figures are unavailable or gone?
The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies
From the Jacket Corfu, 1930 The moment Thirza Caruthers sets foot on Corfu, memories flood back: the scent of jasmine, the green shutters of her family's home ― and her brother Billy's tragic disappearance years before. Returning to the Greek house, high above clear blue waters, Thirza tries to escape by immersing herself in painting ― and a passionate affair. But as webs of love, envy, and betrayal tighten around the family, buried secrets surface. |  |
From the Discussion
“I found the setting resulted in a relaxing mood, which made the drama feel less intense…most of the emotions expressed via the dialogue felt mellow to me. Tea in the gardens diminished the anger and anxiety.” —NanK
“I enjoyed [Dinah Jefferies’] writing style, the storyline, the characters, and the location. I belong to a luxury travel book club and this is definitely a book to be added to that group’s reading list also!” —Terri_C
See what people are saying in response to this question: Thirza loved the sound of her mother’s typewriter as a child. “The rituals that hadn’t seemed…important…had turned out to be the things that…held a family together.” Do you agree with her? Are there rituals you can point to within your own family?
For Members
This issue of The BookBrowse Review contains reviews and "beyond the book" articles for 14 titles, including Python's Kiss by Louise Erdrich, American Fantasy by Emma Straub, and The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann. We also bring you new First Impressions reads, previews of upcoming releases, and more. Not Yet a Member? Do you love to spend your reading hours immersed in captivating storytelling and intriguing ideas? |  |
Then a BookBrowse membership is for you! What you see on BookBrowse for free and in this newsletter is just a small part of what is available to members—for just $5.00/month! Join Today!
Editor’s Choice
Python’s Kiss by Louise Erdrich
Spirits of all kinds live inside the collection: there is the centuries-old Italian cemetery dweller, the lucky intuition of a Borsalino hat, humankind's symbiotic relationship with horses, empathy extended to a squid served at a restaurant in a broth of its own ink, the instant link forged between a feral cat and the man who rescues her, the cleansing of bad spiritual energy that ties itself to everything. In the final story, a river stone becomes a woman's lifelong companion, a reminder of our connection to the unknowable consciousness of the Earth. … continued Review by Christine Runyon |  |
Beyond the Book
Sisters, Not Friends: Mary and Anne Boleyn
There is a warning about children born into the same family. Three children are problematic because one can always be left out and two can gang up on one. That was the case in the Boleyn family. Mary was the oldest. The other two, Anne and George, were best friends. They told each other their secrets, stood trial together, and were executed days apart. |  |
Mary and Anne lacked the closeness of Anne and George because they traveled in different circles, and had different temperaments and personalities, not particularly unusual for siblings. Anne was more opinionated than her older sister, who had an adulturous affair with King Henry VIII before Anne became his wife. Anne, who pushed for marriage instead of taking the mistress route, may have befuddled Mary. Another difference between the sisters was that Anne was an outspoken radical. In The Beheading Game (by Rebecca Lehmann) she is described as a believer with a linear mind. … continued
Article by Valerie Morales
Giveaway
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
From the Jacket #1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger's life twenty-five years later. Praise “Backman manages to find humor even in the midst of pain... And he has the amazing ability to transport his readers back to their own youths, to those idyllic childhood years before adult responsibilities took over. In reading My Friends, readers may relive their own summers, when all they did was hang out with their friends and get into innocent trouble." —BookBrowse |  |
"In My Friends, Backman again pays tribute to the forces that make an ordinary life extraordinary. By focusing his tremendous empathy on the power of art and friendship, he has created a novel that celebrates the beauty of being alive." —BookPage (starred review)
About These Sweepstakes
We have five print copies of My Friends by Fredrik Backman to give away.
This offer is open to residents of the USA, except for BookBrowse members who are welcome to enter wherever they live. If a member not resident in the US wins, they receive an extension to their membership.
Giveaway ends April 20, 2026
Wordplay
Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse!
"K I U Y H"
Click for the answer to the last Wordplay (P M F), and a detailed breakdown of its meaning and history.
Want to play even more word games? Try our daily book trivia and see if you can get to the top of the leaderboard.
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