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Literary Glasgow & a Puget Sound Escape
New fiction, April previews, Glasgow's reputation in literature, and more ...
BookBrowse Highlights
Hello Readers!
This week, our book club members are talking about Donna Everhart’s dark but captivating novel Women of a Promiscuous Nature, based on the American Plan, a government program that led to the mass incarceration of women for “immoral” behavior.
In First Impressions, we bring you Mary Costello’s striking, insightfully written A Beautiful Loan, about a woman’s relationships with two men and her journey to find herself.
Our Editor’s Choice pick is T Kira Madden’s Whidbey, a suspenseful exploration of abuse that follows a character trying to escape the past and present on a remote island in Puget Sound.
You can also enjoy a “beyond the book” article on Glasgow’s reputation in literature as part of our coverage of Frances Crawford’s A Bad, Bad Place, previews of April books, and 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.
Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart
From the Jacket Girl, Interrupted meets The Handmaid's Tale in 1940s North Carolina, as a young woman is accused of "promiscuity" and unjustly incarcerated at The State Industrial Farm Colony for Women… Based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, this powerful and shockingly timely story of resistance and resilience exposes the real government program designed to regulate women's bodies and sexuality throughout the first half of the 20th century. |  |
From the Discussion
“In the author’s notes at the end, she calls this history ‘dark, disturbing and unsettling.’ I agree and feel that Donna Everhart shared it with us in a very touching way.” —Shirl
“I was so grateful to read this story. I couldn’t put it down, much as I had to stop several times to catch my breath.” —Beth_M
See what people are saying in response to this question: The novel is about the mass incarceration of women suspected of promiscuous, immoral, or lewd behavior. Were you aware of this history? Are there other similar instances of mass incarcerations in the US that you know of?
First Impressions
Each month, we share books with BookBrowse members to read and review. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.
A Beautiful Loan by Mary Costello
“A beautifully written story of a woman who finds herself after being on ‘loan’ to two different men. That may not be exactly what the title word is meant to imply, and it comes from the Qur'an, but I really felt that it could have this other meaning, describing what Anna went through in order to take control of her own destiny. It is an all-too-true story for many women to hinge one's life on another's. The writing is exquisite. As Anna processes her life and makes some tough decisions, the beautiful writing shines through, leaving the reader with sadness for the loss of time and innocence but also with hope for a future lived on her own terms, being true to herself at last.” —AT McK (Madison, WI) |  |
“Costello's writing is impressive, specific, often fluid, sometimes florid…Some ‘don't open that door’ moments caught me by surprise as I watched Anna fall into the clutches of two men from different backgrounds who nevertheless exhibited similar narcissistic and controlling behaviors. I wanted to tell her to run! This is a great example of immersive and effective storytelling.” —Linda A. (Sherman Oaks, CA)
“I truly loved this book, I have read it twice and cannot help but wonder what Anna is up to now. Sequel? Doubtful, but I would be delighted! Bravo Mary Costello! I sincerely look forward to more from you.” —Lesa R. (Joliet, IL)
For Members
This issue of The BookBrowse Review contains reviews and "beyond the book" articles for 14 titles, including El Paso by Jazmine Ulloa, Under Water by Tara Menon, and Ruby Falls by Gin Phillips. We also bring you reading guides and recommendations for book clubs, the latest book news, 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
Whidbey by T Kira Madden
Birdie Chang, Florida native and long-time resident of New York City, chooses Whidbey Island from a map on a whim. All she knows is she needs an escape from reality, and she wants to go somewhere as remote as possible. When Birdie was nine, she was sexually assaulted by 19-year-old Calvin Boyer. Now, in her mid-20s, Birdie has been receiving threatening emails from Calvin, and she knows that another one of his victims, Linzie King, a reality television star, has recently published a memoir that focuses on his abuse. |  |
Birdie wants a clean break from the publicity storm she's found herself in, but on the ferry to Whidbey, she finds herself telling her story to a stranger, who promises to kill Calvin for her. … continued
Review by Rachel Hullett
Beyond the Book
Glasgow’s Reputation in Literature
A Bad, Bad Place, the excellent debut novel from Frances Crawford, is set in Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city. For those with any knowledge of the country and its literature, the title will seem like a knowing wink: over the past century, Glasgow has developed a literary reputation for being a very bad place indeed, one where poverty, crime, and drugs run rampant.
The origins of this reputation can be traced back to the inter-war years and the novel No Mean City (1935). … continued
Article by Alex Russell
April Previews
We know it can be tough to keep up with all the new books coming out every month, so we do the hard work for you. We've carefully selected 90+ of the most noteworthy books publishing in April and are continually updating our selections—check them out and get yourself on the library waitlist ahead of the crowd! BookBrowse members can see, sort, and download the full list of previews for all months. Non-subscribers can view books up to the current month and a limited selection of future months. |  |
If you don’t already, you may also wish to subscribe to our Publishing This Week newsletter.
Wordplay
Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a one-year membership to BookBrowse!
"P M F"
Click for the answer to the last Wordplay (The F M), 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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